How I Set Up My Development Machine on Windows

This article explores a Windows-based web developer's toolset, focusing on a practical setup rather than prescribing the "best" practices. The author works with PHP, HTML, MySQL, CSS, and JavaScript.

Key Tools & Workflow:

The author starts with a clean Windows 7 Pro installation, leveraging Ninite to streamline the installation of essential utilities: FileZilla (FTP), Notepad (text editing), WinSCP (SFTP), PuTTY (SSH), 7-Zip (compression), Greenshot (screenshots), and Dropbox (file synchronization). Browsers are also installed for local testing, with BrowserShots or Browserling suggested for cross-browser compatibility checks.

For code editing, Sublime Text 3 handles smaller projects, while NetBeans IDE manages larger, more complex ones. DevDocs provides convenient language reference, and SourceTree facilitates version control (Git). The "save_on_focus_lost" feature in Sublime Text is highlighted for its efficiency. Notepad is also used for quick edits outside the IDE. Alternative editors like PhpStorm and Brackets are mentioned.

WAMP serves as the local server environment, offering flexibility in managing different versions of PHP, MySQL, and Apache. Navicat for MySQL is the preferred database management tool, praised for its features beyond those offered by free alternatives like PHPMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench, or HeidiSQL.

The importance of using relative links instead of hardcoded localhost paths is emphasized, particularly when migrating projects to live servers. The need for careful consideration of database and configuration changes during deployment is also highlighted.

Server Access & Security:

For external access (e.g., client demonstrations), the author suggests setting up a domain or subdomain pointing to the local machine's IP address. Crucially, this requires configuring router ports and firewall settings, along with implementing security measures like .htaccess password protection, IP whitelisting, and robots.txt to mitigate unauthorized access and bot scans.

Version Control & Collaboration:

SourceTree is used for Git version control, integrated with a Bitbucket account. The author notes that this setup is well-suited for solo developers or small-scale internal projects where extensive collaboration or source control isn't always necessary.

Conclusion:

The article concludes by recommending this straightforward setup for beginners, emphasizing the ease of use and accessibility of the free tools involved. The author invites readers to share their preferred Windows development tools.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

The FAQs section covers essential tools for Windows development (text editors, command-line interfaces, version control, browsers), WSL installation, Git setup, virtual machine usage, addressing misconceptions about Windows as a development environment, text editor customization, Docker integration, database management, task automation, and debugging techniques. These FAQs provide a comprehensive overview of various aspects of Windows-based software development.

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