I use two things really, depending on what I am doing.

I use a combination of zend studio IDE for eclipse version 6.1 with the zend debugger installed on a wamp installation (windows apache mysql and php, and maybe python?) for local testing.

I use the search feature in zend studio A LOT and I like the general syntax highlighting of zend, but I also use notepad++ for javascript since zend is a little bloated. I like the intellisense type feature of the zend studio, and notepad++, but I don't have a snippet manager in notepad++, guess i could look for a windows add-on.

For regex, which I am working on, I run that in zend since it debugs instantly. I am sure there are more trivial and easier ways to run this, in fact I know you can debug php right in etexteditor, but I don't have the desire or interest in getting that working.

Coda seems to have a nice solution for $100, osx only.

I was just very alarmed to find 100 errors reported as soon as I dropped the Concrete5 files into a new PHP project. It appears that the intillisense type system can't recognise the JQuery '$' object. I was hoping I wasn't the only one to have seen this and that help might be at hand. If not, I'll have to either change my IDE or change my CMS choice. I have a big project to get started on and this is a killer:(

I don't think there is anything out there as robust as visual studio, I think you are probably using that since you do .net stuff.

Instead of the one tool, visual studio, I have to use a few different ones.

Again I am not debugging in the ide the entire concrete5 install, I haven't taken the time to set that up. I am sure it is entirely possible. Maybe dreamweaver cs4 would fit the bill? I personally haven't tried it.

I test on an essentially live(local) server that mirrors mediatemple's setup. Publish there when I am done.

I really don't know what else to say, although I hope others chime in with their methods.

All javascript things I end up debugging in firebug if they don't work straight out of notepad++.

That sounds awful, not having all files in one place! I couldn't work like that. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree totally trying to get away from Microsoft Development. I just got totally sick of them messing up with the .NET platforms, Vista, system instability and general lack of thought and care at all levels of their business. Thought Linux & PHP would be a good idea, maybe I was wrong. It's a hard struggle to get going. Should be able to drop the whole Concrete5 test files set up into a project and work on it, like anything else without the code assist kicking off at JQuery. It's stopped me in my trax. If I get a resolution somewhere I'll post it back on here as it would turn developers off using C5 if it won't fit with their dev environment, and that would be a shame as I think it has a lot of potential, particularly when you get the multi-site stuff done, which I hope is a priority:)

I set up zend studio, add a project, don't configure the javascript, it prompts to ask if you want to, i'd suggest no and use firebug in firefox and do all of your javascript in notepad++ or coda or whatever floats your boat. After all, it all boils down to text and you could write concrete5 in textpad or on notebook paper and an OCR scanner, but that isn't anywhere near ideal.

That being said, I am not going to try to convince you that concrete5 is right for you, but there are a ton of guys that are getting work done on concrete5, myself included.

I would like to hear from frz on their setup and how they are running things, workflow etc since they are the experts on it.

The zend studio FWIW does pick up a bunch of variables and the intellisense is there. That is what I recommend, notepad++ for little fixes where you don't want to boot up the monster IDE>

Again i guess it is whatever you can live with.

Then again I am a big fan of C# 3.0 for the LINQ alone and the .net framework gives you a TON of controls ajax ready and all of that. So yeah I can appreciate both :)

we all use vi, don't you?

uhh.. this isn't a huge issue for us to be honest. We use subversion to bring code together, and that takes time but works.

What people do on on their own machines is as much a matter of personal preference as it is anything else. I think Andrew uses BBEdit.. textWrangler that kinda simple stuff. Tony might use eclipse, or Zend not sure..

I think these IDE's certainly have a place in getting stuff done quickly if you know them already. I also think its quite unlikely that any modern website you build is going to validate perfectly to any type of validation tool. I mean, if you abandon anything that uses JQuery because your IDE trips on it's syntax - you've just eliminated an awful lot of very good lookin, perfectly functioning tools.

By no means am I arguing for writing sloppy code, and I think you'll find that things are all OOP and nicely formatted in concrete5.. I guess I'm just saying, that's because smart people took the time to do it. The web is a dirty conglomeration of languages that are being asked to do things they were never intended to do, on platforms that can't be predicted. I believe in shooting for "works" over "validates."

Microsoft's in ability to give you a environment that isn't constantly changing, as you point out, and their tendency to make stuff that only works on their browser, might make one wonder if the bar is perhaps being set too high?

Of course, these are all sweeping philosophical statements from someone who's last HTML chop was tables based and 10 years ago. ;) Take em with a grain of salt, and use whatever CMS makes you happy.

Regarding multi-site... what are you talking about? A centralized core and just what you need to run virtual sites in each virtual directory? This is done already. Since its more of an approach than a switch to flip, there's a whitepaper our hosting partners get that explains how we do it.

http://www.concrete5.org/help/support_and_partners/c5hosting_partne...

I usually work with small tools like vi, pspad...

I tried to work with Aptana a few days ago. I never liked eclipse a lot for web development since it's just too big but Aptana seemed to have all the features I need (debugger, snippet manager etc.) but unfortunately there's a bug that puts all the php output on one line and due to this there are a couple of javascript errors when you try to run concrete5 with it...

Hi,

The fix turned out to be installing JSEclipse as detailed here:http://jamesporter.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/eclipse-pdt-and-jseclip...

I can now get on with investigating Concrete5 and hopefully enjoy the ride this time:)

Thanks for all your comments.

you found the fix.

I'm running same config like Scott.

Dev is Eclipse with some other stuff i need for Qt. For quick edits i prefer also to use notepad++.
Testing i do with ff3, firebug, dom inspector and the webdeveloper plugin from moz.

Have fun with Eclipse.

Wohoow, that plugin helped me to get rid of them thousand jQuery errors! Them thousand thanks for this useful post!