[Info] Extension Writer Tools

[DavidIQ]

This topic is meant as a way to provide a list of free tools and reference guides, both officially provided by phpBB and unofficial, that are available to extension developers for the creation and updating of extensions.

phpBB-extensions Documentation:

• Getting started with writing Extensions - Helps you to get started with writing extensions.
• Official phpBB extensions documentation @ area51 - This documentation contains several tutorials on how to write extensions. The sourcecode of the documentation can be found on github
• Converting a MOD to an Extension - Helps with finding where things have been moved to in 3.1 versus 3.0, among other things.

phpBB-Specific Tools:

• QuickInstall - Quick and easy way to create a local working copy of phpBB.
• phpBB Skeleton Extension - An extension that adds an easy tool to a (local) phpBB development forum to generate a basic starter extension. Good for creating the initial files and packaging when starting a new extension.
• Enable/disable extensions completely - This extension allows you to quickly re-enable or reinstall other extensions to save time for extension developers.
• Debug Tools Extension - This extension add a set of console commands useful to debugging. Some are back-ported from Symfony.
• Web Profiler Extension - This extension is a port of the WebProfilerBundle written by Fabien Potencier for Symfony.
• Bash Script for language statistics - You supply language file with and an extension root directory and it will output statistics of how many times any given language key is used.
• Show phpBB Events Extension - Shows the location of all template events inside your board, making it easy to quickly find template events you may need.

Source Control (Git) Tools:

• Git - The all important Git. You'll need this if you're planning on using Git or Github and even if you're using a GUI like SmartGit.
• Git extensions - Free GUI for git.
• SmartGit - GUI for git. If the command line requirement for git is not your thing then this will help you interact easily with your github repositories.
• Tower - Git GUI client for Mac.
• GitHub for Windows - Official GitHub app for Windows.
• GitHub for Mac - Official GitHub app for OSX
• Sourcetree - a free Git & Mercurial client for Windows or Mac.

Local Servers:

• XAMPP - Easy and even portable way to get a development environment up and running. Great for using in conjunction with QI.
• WAMP - Windows web development environment (link to old version)
• MAMP - MySQL, Apache, PHP development environment for Mac.
• PHP development server - Included in PHP since version 5.4, can be run with various dbms types for fast and easy set-up.
• USBWebServer - USBWebserver is a combination of the popular webserver software: Apache, MySQL, Php and PhpMyAdmin. With USBWebserver it is possible to develop and show your php websites, everywhere and anytime.
• Vagrant - A local development environment that can be used with VirtualBox to create virtual machines
• Docker - A program for creating development containers

Database Utilities:

• SQLYog - A MySQL database management tool for Windows that can be used to develop against local and remote MySQL databases instead of using phpMyAdmin.
• SQLite Manager - Add-on for Mozilla Firefox for querying SQLite databases.

Text Editors:

• Geany - Text editor mostly tailored for development.
• Notepad ++ - Multi-use text editor also useful for development.
  • Compare plugin
• Atom - All platforms, by GitHub
• Komodo Edit - Editor for Mac
• TextWrangler - Editor for Mac
• SubEthaEdit - Editor for Mac

IDEs:

• NetBeans - Supports PHP, HTML5, JavaScript, jQuery, and more.
• Eclipse for PHP Developers - Provides PHP and Web development support.
• Aptana Studio - Aptana is a fork of Eclipse, trimmed down and polished up, focusing on web technologies almost exclusively. The built-in goodies like the SFTP using key auth is nice, as is the configurable syntax highlighting / coloring.
• Visual Studio Code - Open Source, lightweight version of Microsoft's Visual Studio. Has many extensions available and support for different languages.

Miscellaneous:

• Koding.com - Awesome place to test drive or develop extensions/styles for phpBB on a live web server and also has a built in GUI for uploading and editing files on the fly.
• WinMerge - Differencing and merging tool for Windows.
• Meld - Visual diff and merge tool for Windows, Linux/Unix, and OS X
• O'reilly - Free programming eBooks

If you know of a tool that you like to use (there are many) simply reply to this topic and it will be added to the list.

Thanks!


Changelog:

• 12/2/2014 @ 12:53 PM UTC-4 - Added Re-Enable Extensions
• 12/2/2014 @ 1:27 PM UTC-4 - Added VSE's recommendations
• 12/3/2014 @ 2:10 PM UTC-4 - Added recommendations by marti & Khaos-Rage
• 12/3/2014 @ 4:33 PM UTC-4 - Added Pico88's recommendations
• 12/5/2014 @ 1:38 PM UTC-4 - Added some of VSE's recommendations and added IDE section
• 12/29/2014 @ 11:14 AM UTC-4 - Added some of lavachapi's recommendations and another RMcGirr83 suggeston
• 1/19/2015 @ 7:25 PM UTC-4 - Added brunoais and Mick2015 suggestions.
• 3/23/2015 @ 9:10 AM UTC-4 - Added MuhClaren and Sajaki suggestions.
• 3/28/2016 @ 6:10 PM UTC+2 - Added a sentence regarding the extensions documentation at area51.
• 10/10/2016 @ 10:09 AM UTC-4 - Added O'reilly free eBooks link provided by Sajaki, bash script provided by Satanasov, Template Events extension by martti, suggestion from yasser33311
• 1/19/2015 @ 7:25 PM UTC-4 - Added martti suggestion of VSCode and updated extension name.
• 4/26/2022 @ 10:25 PM UTC - Added Docker, Vagrant and updated WAMP link

[LavIgor]

Reenable extensions - This extension allows you to quickly reenable or reinstall other extensions to save time for extension developers.

Extension Version: 1.0.0

Requirements: phpBB 3.1.*

Features:
- A special page for reenabling and reinstalling extensions.
Reenabling extensions lets you quickly refresh files and settings of extensions to add new functionality. It is useful for extension developers as it transforms the standard six-clicks way into a single click. Additionally you can reinstall extensions with a single click instead of standard nine clicks.

[MattF]

MAMP - MySQL, Apache, PHP development environment for Mac.

Tower - Git GUI client for Mac.

Debug Tools Extension - This extension add a set of console commands useful to debugging. Some are back-ported from Symfony.

Web Profiler Extension - This extension is a port of the WebProfilerBundle written by Fabien Potencier for Symfony.

[martti]

PHP development server, included in PHP from version 5.4, together with SQLite3 database for fast and easy set-up.
SQLite Manager, Add on for Mozilla Firefox.
Geany text editor.

[Khaos-Rage]

Koding.com, Awesome place to test drive or develop extensions/styles for phpBB on a live web server and also has a built in GUI for uploading and editing files on the fly. Full ssh access and get to install your own sql server via cmd line ( I installed mariadb ). It comes with apache and php already installed.

[DavidIQ]

Good stuff guys. List has been updated.

[Pico88]

GitHub for Windows - Official GitHub app for Windows
GitHub for Mac - as above but for OSX
WinMerge - differencing and merging tool for Windows
WAMP - Windows web development environment

EDIT:

I suggest to devide them into group such as Git tool, local server apps etc.

[DavidIQ]

Good idea. List has been split.

[RMcGirr83]

And the beloved and well used/talked about Notepad++ gets zero love.

Makes baby jesus cry

FWIW, there is a plugin for Notepad++ that allows differencing files.

[DavidIQ]

And the beloved and well used/talked about Notepad++ gets zero love.

Makes baby jesus cry

FWIW, there is a plugin for Notepad++ that allows differencing files.

/me gives Rich some reading glasses (was already under "Text Editors" but would appreciate a link to the mentioned plugin)

[LavIgor]

Changelog:

• 12/2/2014 @ 12:53 PM UTC-4 - Added Re-Enable Extensions
• 12/2/2014 @ 1:27 PM UTC-4 - Added VSE's recommendations
• 12/3/2014 @ 2:10 PM UTC-4 - Added recommendations by marti & Khaos-Rage
• 12/3/2014 @ 4:33 PM UTC-4 - Added Pico88's recommendations

[/i]

Maybe this is not so important but there is a fix for the last changelog entry.

[DavidIQ]

Sharp eye...

[martti]

And the beloved and well used/talked about Notepad++ gets zero love.
Makes baby jesus cry .

Notepad++ is great, but Windows only. When I switched to Linux, I wanted to have something simular as Notepad++ and found Geany to be the closest match.

PHP development server, included in PHP from version 5.4, together with SQLite3 database for fast and easy set-up.

Clarification: You can use the PHP development server with any database, but I use it with SQLite3 for easy set-up.

[MattF]

Notepad++ ?

Alright we need to infuse some real (free) text editors into this then
Sublime Text - All platforms
Atom - All platforms, by GitHub

[martti]

Notepad++ ?

Alright we need to infuse some real (free) text editors into this then
Sublime Text - All platforms
Atom - All platforms, by GitHub

Sublime Text is not free, but costs $70 per user. I will try Atom when v1.0 comes out.
Geany also runs on many platforms: Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, MacOS X, AIX v5.3, Solaris Express and Windows (Windows with a few limitations).