The best PHP code generator, Give your opinion

[DaForce]

Hello there folks,

I'm about to buy my first PHP code generator, I have already tested up a few, have my own opinion about it but wanted to discuss it a little bit first, anyone here uses/used? what you guys can tell me about it?

I realy liked scriptcase because it is not database driven, anyone ever used?

[traq]

if you're serious about using php, don't buy anything. just get a plain text editor with syntax highlighting (e.g., notepad++, gedit, kate, etc.).

[djr33]

I agree with traq. PHP is a full programming language with infinite creativity-- no program is going to generate what you need for every situation and probably will often generate invalid code which in PHP will crash [give a parse error, for example] (unlike HTML that may just display in an odd way).

Unlike HTML that represents things (objects on the page, basically), PHP is a procedural language that does one line then the next; without looking at exactly what is happening you lose control over that and it just won't work that well.


I suppose I can imagine a very specific tool, perhaps one to keep a database of fantasy football teams (as a random example) that has lots of options. But that's not really a PHP generator. It's more of a content management system (even if it's a simple one).

If you don't want to use PHP, then don't. Or use a CMS that will do most of the automation for you. Beyond that, just start learning.

I strongly recommend using a program with syntax highlighting because it's easier to organize and skim, but beyond that there's not much I can imagine that would be helpful beyond the very basics (and learning that way will just make you independently less capable in PHP).

[DaForce]

I have to agree with both of you. But let me raise another questio.

Let's suppose that you work as freelancer, and those days you have too much work, and someone asked you to create a "simple" project with 5 forms 10 grids (some master detais and N-N relationship) with a simple menu and a loggin strcuture.

If you start coding you are going to lose a week or something OR you can use scriptcase (in my case) to do it in 6 hours.

Same quality, sometimes even better than code everting. Which one should you guys choose?

[traq]

I don't do something like that from scratch, no. There's no reason to - I've done similar projects before, and I have plenty of re-usable code.

I do contest your assertion that the project quality will be equal or "sometimes even better." Authoring software removes you from what the code is actually doing. You are, in effect, placing your trust in the software and turning a blind eye to what is going on behind the scenes. For common, simple tasks that the software was specifically designed to handle, things will probably be fine. When you get to more unique tasks, however, you'll run into problems - and because you've decided not to work with the code directly, you won't have an easy time solving those problems. Even those "simple tasks" will become a nightmare once the web moves on to a new version of php, leaving all of your clients with outdated code and no way to update it.

If you truly intend to work as a web dev (designer, programmer, whatever), then you should be working directly with the code. In a few years, you'll be glad you decided to. If all you want is a way to quickly turn out simple projects, then go for it - but don't kid yourself about what sort of product/service you provide. The best software in the world doesn't make you a good designer/developer. Doesn't even make you a mediocre developer. This is why there are so many "HELP PHP SUDDENYL STOPPED WORKING FOR NO REASON PLS HELP URGENNNNNNNNNNNNNTTT !!!" threads on (this and other) web forums.


The more familiar and capable you are with PHP, the more you realize how important it is to work with the code directly, and understand what is going on. And, the more you wish you had started out that way in the first place.

[djr33]

There's another important aspect of all of this: learning that software will take extra time that you could be using to learn PHP.

The best example of this that I can think of is jQuery. It's designed to make using Javascript easier, and sometimes it does. In fact, it's not even a bad tool overall. But it does mean that a lot of users start with jQuery then can't handle using Javascript directly. And this also means that they've spent their time learning jQuery when they could have done the same thing in regular JS and then know more overall.
(Obviously that's an example for Javascript, but similar automation tools in PHP would be the same thing.)


The reason that WYSIWYG editors for HTML work well (relatively speaking) is that you get to see what you're doing as you design it. I can't imagine a "WYSIWYG" PHP editor, because there's nothing to "See" when using PHP-- it's a procedural language and each line operates after the next. HTML does not have a timeline, so the preview is very helpful.
There is of course the secondary issue that WYSIWYG editors don't develop high quality code and don't give you all of the options that HTML has to offer, and that will still be a problem with something similar for PHP, but what I'm pointing out is that it will be even less useful than for HTML because it won't really be a shortcut. It will just be learning new ways to write the same PHP and in the end will waste your time learning that system rather than just using the PHP directly that you will eventually have to deal with.

[DaForce]

Once again you are right, I just have a different point of view, we still have to code hardcore on those generators, the code generated is good, but i didnt lose time copying and pasting or modifying my old codes, and on the generator that i use i can create my onw libraries, what make my job even esier.

What im trying to say is, i still have to code but now i can do it faster, alot faster, and that was what i was looking for.

Do i create everthing on the generator? NO, but 80% of my coding it is there.

ps. already bought it, no regrets so far.

[traq]

glad to hear it's working out for you.

[DaForce]

Have you guys ever tried one? which? let me know.

[traq]

not one specifically for php. I started out with web stuff on FrontPage, and it was horrible. I've used notepad++, gedit, and Kate (Kate is my fav so far, but the others work great too).