The PHP Plugin offers a set of features that can be used for editing PHP source code, including:
- an IDE enhancement than enables highlighting PHP syntax constructions in files within a PHP project.
- a feature that enables selective hiding and displaying sections of a currently-edited file with PHP source code.
- a feature which allows users to easily orientate in a file with PHP source code as well as to perform some basic actions.
- a feature that enables using an abbreviation instead of a short reusable piece of source code (code snippet). Each code snippet has its own predefined scenario of input that helps to adjust the snippet's code. Some of code snippets can also wrap other pieces of the source code that is selected in the editor (see the "Surround With..." action).
- a feature that allows the user to type a few characters and then get a list of context-sensitive proposals to complete the typed text.
- a feature that shows info about the formal parameters of a function or a method in the context where the function/method is called.
- a feature that provides auto-formatting during the process of coding.
- a feature that automatically formats the code in a PHP source file.
- a feature that automatically adds or removes paired quotes, parentheses, braces, and brackets during the process of coding.
Besides, supporting the following features is planned:
- a feature that identifies the calls, definitions, and parameters of a method as well as unused variables.
- a feature that highlights all the references and redefinitions of an element under a caret (such as a variable, method call, or class reference). If a caret is placed on a method definition, all the potential exit points should be highlighted.
- a feature that allows to see the errors discovered by the PHP parser. Parsing is started in the background when the user stops typing. Error messages are shown as error annotations.
- a feature that allows automatic highlighting of matching quotes, parentheses, braces, and brackets.
- Code Completion for the PHP documentation
- code completion in the context of a documentation comment.
- Unused Code Recognition
- Error Correct Assistant
- Go To Declaration
- Instant Rename
- Smart Selection
- Spell Checking