Unlike static HTML web pages that can be displayed in one easy step using a web browser, dynamic languages like PHP, Perl and Ruby require a bit more effort to get going and can be confusing for new users. And then, once you get your scripts running you have the likely potential of errors to deal with. But don't worry, WebScripter has you covered! Instead of running laps around in the Terminal or testing remotely on FTP servers, test scripts locally in streamlined process.
Run a script under debug mode and WebScripter automatically traps and inserts errors into a drop-down pane right above the document for easy navigation. You can even check for syntax errors in HTML using the awesome HTMLTidy with the same clean interface.
Sometimes you need to test programs that are back-end utilities or just don't have a graphical HTML based interface (like UNIX apps) so there's no reason to view them in a web browsers. Change the files script mode and now the output will be printed into a pseudo-terminal drop-down pane above the document for rapid testing.
Want to check the syntax of your PHP, Perl or Ruby scripts without running the whole script? No problem. Syntax checks happen in the blink of an eye and popup right next to your cursor and leave when you start typing again.
That's right, after you configure a file (or it's project) you can preview on disk, a remote server, or executed by Apache locally, all in a single motion. Because WebScripter's highly configurable design the barrier between writing code and seeing the results are smashed no matter what your project is. Choose between rendering HTML using Safari's engine built right into each editor window or any other web browser of your choice.
Every time you preview an HTML file in a new window or tab it will be automatically updated when the source document is modified so you can see changes without having to do anything at all.
Even if the file you're editing resides on a web server you can configure it to preview remotely just like if it was on the web. Then when you're ready to commit changes you can use WebScripter's built-in FTP support or your favorite FTP client.
Lets say you're editing a JavaScript file that provides some functionality to another HTML page which you're testing. Every time you make changes you don't want to switch to the HTML page to preview, you want to hit the preview button and see how the changes affected the HTML. To solve this, WebScripter lets you assign preview paths that override the files default so seeing the changes you want is still just one click away.
If you have configured your Mac to enable Apache you can test scripts just like a web server, all in the comfort of your Mac. WebScripter streamlines this process into you guessed it, a single-click. Files descending from the Sites folder automatically generate the correct URL and can be processed like normal web pages on a server, but running on your Mac!
At the end of the day programming is still just typing text into an editor. That's why WebScripter's editor features robust syntax styling with loads of styles, code navigation, scriptable macros and context-sensitive code completion to name a few.
You type [img(house.jpg)], I say "<img src="house.jpg">". Save precious time typing with dynamic macros that can accept parameters like functions. More powerful than ordinary snippets and the best part is they can even execute UNIX programs for formating the documents contents or running custom scripts.
Don't just style the keywords from the language and leave the details of your code in the black. WebScripter's syntax engine records all the symbols in your project so code completion just got that much more useful.
Digging around files trying to remember where a function or class was defined is a real drain on time and a headache at times. WebScripter lets you jump around code by contextual clicking on functions (classes, methods and constants also) saving you the hassle of browsing for the definition.
Edit and browse files on an FTP server just like it was on your hard disk. Enjoy working remotely with a transparent toll-free bridge to FTP and save the hassle of switching apps during development and testing cycles.
1) Define a server. 2) Configure the project. 3) Browse and edit files. Saving automatically uploads the file and previewing happens just like the file was opened in a web browser. It's that simple to work remotely in WebScripter and the work flow feels like working right from your own hard disk.
Configure once and files on your hard disk become aliases to files on the server so all the networking details are handled for you. If you don't want to work directly from the server, that's no problem either. Configure a file with an FTP server and saving automatically uploads the file and preview commands invoke the file from it's URL on the web.
When you're ready to publish changes from your local site copy to the server WebScripter will do all the dirty work for you. Just configure any files you want published and they will be automatically uploaded to their proper location in a single-click!
While not a replacement for your favorite FTP client all the basics are here like: move, rename, create/delete along with drag & drop uploads and downloads.
Keep all your files, preferences, file options, code details and resources in one location. WebScripter helps you take a folder packed full of files and organize it into a single concise package, configured just the way you like it without disturbing anything on disk.
Each project maintains a unique table of symbols (functions, classes, methods, constants, variables, etc...) so all the details of a files code are available at all times. Define a function in one file and it will be colored and available to auto-complete in all other files. Navigate a projects global table by type in a handy side pane. Jump around a files symbols by function popup or the symbol browser pane for a more detailed view.
Project options give you a single location to control how files are previewed and executed on the command line, so you can change the mode of development and affect all files at once. Single files can also be configured to override the project settings so you have precise control over how files are handled during testing.
Drag & drop snippets for commonly used code and macros known as project commands that won't pollute your master application-wide list. Designed for rapid use and accessible in the project side bar so they're always right at your finger tips.