Zend PHP Tools

Zend Technologies, well known for having provided the Zend Engine in PHP 4, offers a series of tools and services specifically for PHP developers and/or administrators in charge of PHP based Web sites. Among the tools offered:

Zend Accelerator: increases PHP site performance via a PHP kernel integrated module that applies both caching and optimization methodologies to PHP pages. Includes the Zend Optimizer, which speeds execution time of PHP applications via multi-pass code optimization. (A free stand-alone version of the Zend optimizer is also available.)

Zend Encoder: allows development houses to release their PHP apps to purchasers without revealing the source code.

Zend Studio: development environment for the PHP scripter. Key features include both local and remote debuggers (for debugging scripts on the server), and a text editor with highlighting and code completion for both HTML and PHP elements. The latest Zend Studio release (2.0) sports the Zend Server Center, which allows for browser-based administration of PHP server components, including the Zend Debug Server (providing the aforementioned remote debug capabilities); and the Zend Information Center, a context-sensitive reference engine.

The Zend PHP tools are available now; pricing varies by module. Visit the Zend Technologies Web site for details.