This section covers basic features of PHsPeed. Subsequent chapters will go into more detail of the feature and contain insights to get started.


  • RAD oriented

PHsPeed supports “Rapid Application Development (RAD)”. It is a visual and component-based IDE with additional features to speed up development even more:

    • Application Generator

If one already has a database, one can generate a basic grid, CRUD, and other application with just a few mouse clicks. The functionality will be rather basic, but it is still good starting point on which further enhancement may be based, and thus often the fastest way to get started on a project. It also allows you to apply master-detail relationships.

    • Component-Based

One can create a project from scratch by adding a form application and start putting components on it. Another way is to create the application first as described in step one above and then modify by adding or changing components. Each component has a lot of properties and events:

  • Properties

Properties change the behavior of the components. Examples are the color of a component if it is read-only, required, etc. Some properties will only be available to some types of component and some properties may be require a unique value, etc.

Examples of common properties are:

Name:        Identifies the component 

Parent:         “Owner” of the component

Some properties are just for internal use, such as the position of the component, and some are read-only, e.g. the parent property. The IDE uses coloring to distinguish the function of properties. A white background means the property is for internal use (in general, position of the component on the form). A red background means that the property is read-only. You can make these properties invisible by clicking on the buttons on top of the property editor (panel I).

 

  • Server Events

Server events are functions that gets executed at certain points/ moments during application execution.  One may insert code for these events, i.e. when one presses a button, an “onClick” event triggers. Code entered for this event will execute, when a user clicks that particular button. The code is executed on the server, so we”re talking PHP here. (* that doesn’t sound quite right. Isn’t button clicks JavaScript code that actually executes in the browser at run time?)

  • Client Events

Client events are similar to server events; only they are executed on the client, which is your browser. Client events are run in your JavaScript. PHsPeed will automatically generate JavaScript when you incorporate a Client Side event. You can modify this, but in general this should be avoided. 

  • PHP Debugger

PHsPeed has an XDebug client implemented and allows full debugging of the PHP code. (see www.xdebug.org). One can set breakpoints, investigate the contents of variables and objects, look at Post and Get messages, the session space and much more.

  • JavaScript Debugger

PHsPeed has a build-in browser based upon Chromium. It has the debugger tools enabled so one can debug the JavaScript code as one may already be used to when using “Chrome”.

  • Visual Form Designer

Forms can be created in a visual style. As Bootstrap will render the form based on the client browser brand and version, the Visual Form Designer is not a WYSIWYG editor. One draws the form in a “conceptual way”. After generating the code, one can test the real appearance when running the application. It’s a great and fast way to build forms.


  • Application Wizard

Create full working grids, forms, cruds etc. automatically from your database tables. You can even create them in bulk.