I started using Netbeans (http://www.netbeans.org/features/php/) a while ago, because I was sick of the big footprint eclipse-based IDE's have. Aptana was slowing me down.

So I started using NetBeans PHP and discovered that it has some great features.

The only thing it doesn't do is complete your code in the controller with model-based methods and properties. On the blog for Netbeans PHP I yakked a bit about this (http://blogs.sun.com/netbeansphp/entry/defining_a_variable_type_in#comment-1232115150000) and was directed to this screencast: http://blogs.sun.com/netbeansphp/entry/screencat_about_class_property_variables. Petr tells us how to achieve the wanted functionality (he did forget a '$' in the definition, but hey, we all make mistakes).

We can make this work for Cake. Let's say we have the following model:

Model Class:

<?php 
class Post extends AppModel {
    var $name = 'Post';
    var $belongsTo = array('Author' => array('className' => 'Author', 'foreignKey' => 'author_id'));
}
?>
And this controller:

Controller Class:

<?php 
class PostsController extends AppController {
    var $name = 'Posts';
    function index() {
        $posts = $this->Post->find('all');
        $this->set('posts', $posts);
    }
}
?>
When you type " $this->Post-> ", normally, you will not get a list of functions we can call for the Post model or the parent AppModel.
We do want this.

We can do this by 'helping' NetBeans a little with 'Class property variables':

Controller Class:

<?php 
/**
 * @property Post $Post
 */
class PostsController extends AppController {
    var $name = 'Posts';
    function index() {
        $posts = $this->Post->find('all');
        $this->set('posts', $posts);
    }
}
?>
See the new comment above the PostsController? This is telling NetBeans our class has a property $Post with class Post (upon typing, NetBeans automatically lists all classes found in your code base, along with the filename where it is defined), which is used for code completion and code hinting.

This works for controllers, but even better, it also works for models, so you can link all relations in your model to the relevant model class. If I would do this to the model in my example, you'd get this:

Model Class:

<?php 
/**
 * @property Author $Author
 */
class Post extends AppModel {
    var $name = 'Post';
    var $belongsTo = array('Author' => array('className' => 'Author', 'foreignKey' => 'author_id'));
}
?>
This allows me to get code completion and code hinting in the Posts controller for the Author model.


$this->Post->Author->...

And NetBeans would provide me with a list of all methods and properties of the Author model and of course it's parent, AppModel.

You can go as deep as you want.
Check this screenshot of the app I'm working on:

http://livesurvey.nl/files/NetBeansModelCompletion.jpg
I hope I have been clear enough... otherwise, let me know in the comments.

I don't have enough experience with other IDE's to be able to tell you if such a thing is possible in your preferred IDE, but I wouldn't be surprised! In any way, discovering this has made my life a little easier, so I thought I'd share!

Have Fun,

Symen Timmermans