Davor's PHP Constructor - User Documentation

Project/Code Explorer

Code Explorer is a powerful tool which reads your files and find PHP variables (variable name must start with '$' sign, and can be class properties and methods), functions, classes in JavaScript and PHP sections, and HTML elements.

There are two implementations of explorer tool: file-based (Code Explorer - explores active file) and project-based (Project Explorer - explores all active projects and files in them).

Using Code Explorer


When you start code explorer while editing a file, pressing either Ctrl+E or via menus, only that file will be explored - modal Code Explorer window opens and displays a tree with five nodes: All items are populated with function names, class names, variable names, include/requires statemenst (including inc./req. files names) and HTML tags found in edited file.

As many HTML tags can be part of combined strings and expressions (due to complexity and flexibility of PHP and other scripting languages syntax), it is possible that some of them are displayed incorrectly or are misunderstood by code explorer. To avoid this try writing "clear" code leaving continual tags in code. However, in some cases this can not be accomplished, so try to just ignore incorrectly reported tags.

Select subnodes and press Ctrl+Enter to show all occurences of an item in current file (you can do the same from popup menu if you right-click an item). Double click (or press Enter key on) any occurence to jump directly to code line where selected item appears.



Using Project Explorer


When started from main menu as PROJECT explorer, code explorer opens in different mode and loads all opened projects and containing files. In this case you can approach code from two different views: Unlike in "Code Explorer" mode, "Project Explorer" mode can be started more than once and you can have as many active "Project Explorer" windows as you like at the same time (useful if you want to explore different points of your project without leaving current view).

In "Project View" all projects are loaded into tree and filled with owned files. Click on a file and it's contents will be analyzed and displayed in right pane. Use the right pane to explore file's code as you would in "Code Explorer" mode with a single file.

"Code View" mode first displays nodes like in "Code Explorer" mode. Double click, for example, "Functions" and all functions from all projects and files will be added to the node. Then, double click the function to load list of files where it can be found. Double click file to load all occurences in selected file. Finally, double click occurence line to jump directly to it in editor.

This program module allows you to quickly search common code elements within loaded projects and files without loading and reviewing every single project or file.

Another convenient way to search through projects and files is Grep Search.