Migrating from NetBeans

How do I open a NetBeans project in PhpStorm?

Use File | New | Project from Existing Sources and select your NetBeans project directory.

When the Import Project wizard opens, select the Create project from existing sources option and then follow the instructions of the wizard.

PhpStorm will add the necessary definition files (the .idea directory) to your project directory. The NetBeans .nbproject directory and build.xml will remain untouched, and you'll be able to use PhpStorm along with NetBeans.

See also, Importing Project from Existing Source Code.

Is there a directory-based project format in PhpStorm?

Yes, there is a .idea directory where project definition XML files are stored. For more information, see Creating and Managing Projects.

The Run button is disabled. How do I run my application?

The Run button is disabled because there are no run configurations in your project.

You can create run configurations yourself: in the main menu, select Run | Edit Configurations |. Click to add a new configuration and choose how you want to run your application.

How can I open several projects in PhpStorm simultaneously?

It's possible to work with multiple projects simultaneously using PhpStorm. To achieve this, you only need to open a project, while another one is already opened, and choose Add to currently opened projects. See Opening Multiple Projects for details.

How do I close a project?

Select File | Close Project. You can also use File | Exit to close all open projects and quit PhpStorm. See also, Opening, reopening, and closing projects.

Where is the Options dialog?

In PhpStorm, the Settings dialog is used for similar purposes. To open this dialog, press Ctrl+Alt+S.

For more information, see Configuring the IDE.

How do I start with VCS integration?

The most popular Version Control Systems including Git, Subversion, Mercurial, Perforce, and more are supported by PhpStorm. VCS integration for your project can be configured in on the Version Control page of the Settings /Preferences dialog. See Version control fore details.

Can I use the NetBeans key bindings in PhpStorm?

Yes, you can.

How does code completion in PhpStorm work?

The code completion suggestion list appears automatically after you type one or two letters. To narrow down this list, use:

• Ctrl+Space. The list is reduced to keywords and the names of classes, methods, and fields available in the current context. Note that the list changes when you press Ctrl+Space for the second or third time.

• Ctrl+Shift+Space. Only the types appropriate for the current context are shown.

For more information, see Code completion.

Is local history in PhpStorm any different from that in NetBeans?

Local history in PhpStorm, generally, is more detailed. Whatever you do with a directory, file, class, method or field, or a code block is reflected in your local history. The local history also includes VCS operations.

For more information, see Local History.

Are there any special code analysis features in PhpStorm?

PhpStorm can analyze dependencies, data flows and stack traces, find duplicates and evaluate code quality. Just have a look at the options in the Analyze menu.

Can I enable 'mark occurrences' in PhpStorm?

You can. The corresponding option in PhpStorm is called Highlight usages of element at caret. This option is enabled by default.

Just in case:

1. Open the Settings dialog Ctrl+Alt+S.

2. In the Editor category, select General.

3. In the right-hand part of the dialog, under Highlight on Caret Movement, select the Highlight usages of element at caret checkbox.

4. Click OK.

Can I use NetBeans plugins in PhpStorm?

Unfortunately not. However, a lot of functionality implemented as plugins for NetBeans is available in PhpStorm "out of the box". Besides, there's a lot of plugins for PhpStorm, so you can always find an PhpStorm plugin with the functionality similar to that of your favorite NetBeans plugin.

How do I find the plugin that I need?

All the functions related to working with plugins are on the Plugins page of the Settings dialog Ctrl+Alt+S. You can look for, download, install and update the plugins as well as enable and disable them.

For more information, see Plugins andManage plugins.

How do I install the plugin that I have available on my computer?

1. Open the Settings dialog Ctrl+Alt+S.

2. In the left-hand pane, select Plugins.

3. In the lower part of the Plugins page, click Install plugin from disk.

4. In the dialog that opens, select the plugin file (normally, a JAR or ZIP).

5. Click OK.

6. If asked, restart PhpStorm.

What configuration is needed before start?

A lot of PhpStorm features are available without any configuration right after you launch it. Still, to take full advantage of running your PHP application, you need to configure a PHP interpreter and a server.

If you plan to launch the application locally, you need a PHP engine installed and registered in PhpStorm, as well as a Web server installed, configured, and integrated with PhpStorm. You can install these components separately or use an AMP package. For more details about initial environment configuration, refer to Configure PHP development environment.

If you are going to run and debug an application directly on a remote host, the only thing you need is register access to this host in PhpStorm to enable synchronization.

How do I start with deployment to a remote host?

If you've checked out your project from the remote host, the deployment server is already configured. Otherwise, you will need to get it configured (it can be FTP/SFTP/FTPS server or mounted/local folder) on the Deployment page of the Settings/Preferences dialog. The Remote host tool window is available on the right-hand side of the PhpStorm window, which can be handy for browsing through your remote server and performing various actions.

See Deploy your application for details.

How do I start debugging?

PhpStorm comes with support for both Xdebug and Zend Debugger for debugging and profiling. There is a zero-configuration debugging workflow available, which means that to start debugging you only need to:

• Click Start Listening for PHP Debugging Connections on the toolbar of the IDE.

• Place a breakpoint in code by clicking in the editor gutter next to the line.

• Start debugging in the browser using a plugin or browser bookmarklets.