Random list of tools I use

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Random list of tools I use

There are many tools one can use to improve productivity, however, its sometimes the simplest of changes/configuration to your existing tools that makes the most impact.

As an example: Bash Scripts. If you're writing more than 15 characters in bash multiple times a day with random IP's and tags to remember, write a simple shorthand function. Examples:

• Instead of typing scp -P 5555 /some/path/to/file.php username@some.random.ip.address:/var/www/project/current/some/path/to/file.php, I have a little script: scp{projectname} /some/path/to/file.php. It already knows our server details, and the path relative to the project (both locally for autocompletion, and on the server). It also sends out a HipChat notification that the certain file has been overwritten, so I don't have to worry about keeping the team in the loop. (Yes, I do push files directly to our live production server from time to time, sue me)

Also, being 100% comfortable with your IDE is extremely important. Set it up the way you want it. Change the shortcut keys to what YOU are used to. Look at plugins/tools that will allow you to work more effectively.

The one PHPStorm plugin that I simply can't live without is the Embedded Terminal. And assign a easy shortcut to it, so you can show/hide it at any time. Maximizing the code area and minimizing the clutter is important. Open the tools/side bars when you need them, and close them once you're done. Simple shortcuts can help streamline this.

Besides that, here are some cool tools I use in some of my projects:

PDF Creation from HTML

http://wkhtmltopdf.org/ https://github.com/mikehaertl/phpwkhtmltopdf

Migrations Generator

https://github.com/Xethron/migrations-generator

Extended Array

https://github.com/Xethron/extended-array

Fetch is a library for reading email and attachments, primarily using the POP and IMAP protocols.

https://github.com/tedious/Fetch

Small system for showing a very generic error message to your end-users while sending an email to yourself with all relevant information about the exception.

https://github.com/anlutro/laravel-4-smart-errors

Sentry server: Shit happens — Be on top of it.

https://www.getsentry.com

Automatic phpDoc generation for Laravel Facades

https://github.com/barryvdh/laravel-ide-helper

Integrate PHP Debug Bar with Laravel 5

https://github.com/barryvdh/laravel-debugbar

Z-Ray for Laravel (Zend Server)

http://serverdemo.zend.com/laravel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmcMLNyNwow

Improve code quality and find bugs before they hit production with our continuous inspection platform

https://scrutinizer-ci.com

Rocketeer is a modern PHP task runner and deployment package.

https://github.com/rocketeers/rocketeer (To swap out two symlinks atonomously (aka, no downtime), use mv -t newsymlink oldsymlink)

Envoy: Elegant SSH tasks for PHP.

https://github.com/laravel/envoy

Pomodoro Challenge Timer for Android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wlxd.pomochallenge

Find interesting Laravel Packages

http://packalyst.com/

Bugsnag: Also for catching exceptions in your code. Never used it before, but I hear its pretty good!

https://bugsnag.com/