Lately, I've been eager to escape the confines of using text editors for PHP development (apologies to TextPad and BBEdit). Macromedia Studio MX doesn't dazzle me for PHP scripting, but I'm curious about how the new Studio 8 shapes up. In the meantime, it's off to the races to find a good PHP IDE, preferably open source or freeware. Oh, and did I mention that I want one for Windows and Mac? Yes, tall order.

I know about the many good options for Windows: PHP Designer 2005, Maguma Open Studio, Eclipse, jEdit, TurboPhp, Notepad++, PSPad, TruStudio… these are off the top of my head. I have PHP Designer 2005 installed and like it alot. I've downloaded Maguma, jEdit and Notepad++, but haven't installed them yet. I'm pretty happy with the choices available to me for my Windows workstation. It's only a matter of playing with these packages and deciding on the right fit.

Finding an open source or freeware IDE for Mac took a little more footwork. I've been using my iBook as a test station for my recent PHP learning, so the time seemed right to move beyond BBEdit. Two blog posts, one by Peter Bowyer* and another from Chris Ruzin, were very helpful. I ended up installing TruStudio (built on Eclipse) and I'm liking it alot.

Another good resource is php-editors.com, particularly their at-a-glance IDE comparison chart. This is a great place to start if you're looking for a new IDE to call home.

*Ed. note: Peter Bowyer actually published more than a post about PHP IDEs: he posted a series on PHP IDE selection! You might be interested in his other Quest series', including finding the perfect email client and rss reader.