quick setup instructions for profiling php scripts on a mac with xdebug + webgrind

These instructions are for xampp on a mac.

1. Download xdebug.so from activestate (thank you Komodo)
   
2. Copy xdebug.so (choose the correct xdebug according to your php version) to xampp/xamppfiles/lib/php/php5/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-########/xdebug.so .
3. Configure php.ini:
   At the end of php.ini (it’s in xampp/etc/php.ini) add

   zend_extension=/Applications/xampp/xamppfiles/lib/php/php5/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20060613/xdebug.so
   xdebug.remote_enable = 1
   xdebug.remote_port = 9000
   xdebug.remote_host = localhost
   xdebug.show_local_vars=1
   xdebug.dump.SERVER=HTTP_HOST, SERVER_NAME
   xdebug.dump_globals=On
   xdebug.collect_params=4
   xdebug.profiler_enable=On
   xdebug.profiler_enable_trigger=On
   xdebug.profiler_output_name=”%p-%R”

   The “xdebug.profiler_output_name=”%p-%R”" sets the file name to process pid (default) + “-” + the REQUEST URI (helpful if you’re rewriting urls). The xdebug.dump commands are not for profiling but they improve var_dump & error messages. Check zend’s article series on xdebug for more info.

4. Run php info & check xdebug’s there.
   If you get ‘could not load.. (null)’ you probably downloaded the wrong version for your mac. Also check the path to xdebug is correct (the no-debug-non-zts-####### part might be different)
5. Install webgrind: download from here and copy directory to xampp/xamppfiles/htdocs folder
6. Visit your script with ?XDEBUG_PROFILE=1 appended to the end of the url. Eg http://localhost/myapp/index.php?XDEBUG_PROFILE=1
7. Now navigate to webgrind (eg. http://localhost/webgrind/ ), select the correct file from the dropdown - you can see the files xdebug’s created in yout /tmp directory -  and you should see the profiling info.
8. Done!

Sources:

• http://debuggable.com/posts/setting-up-xdebug-on-mac-os-x-or-win32-linux:480f4dd6-0240-4a90-8fa1-4e41cbdd56cb
• http://devzone.zend.com/article/2899-Profiling-PHP-Applications-With-xdebug - this is a really good intro to xdebug

Might be interesting:

http://www.maccallgrind.com/

ipod touch apps

Since i’ve got my ipod touch, i’ve been trying out several applications. Some have sticked, others less. So here’s my current favorite list along with a few comments.

Stanza provides the best reading  experience of all the ereaders i’ve tried (stanza, filemagnet, instapaper, ereader) . A feature suggestion: I really would like the ability to add notes on any page or at least to underline/highlight text. Highlighting would really be nice - it just makes the reading experience much better. Basically the physical action of highlighting makes it easier for me to process the information and remember it later.

A note on page turning: Stanza is the only app where you press the left/right side of the screen to go to the previous/next page which would be fine if everyone else was doing it as well. As it is, I frequently scroll down and then wonder why nothing’s happening. I actually would like for everyone else to use Stanza’s method - it just jumps to the exact spot you were on which is less tiring on the eyes.

Stanza Pros: free; good readability. Cons: Most pdfs i tried to convert were not converted correctly making the app much less usable than i initially thought. Especially images and indexes are really poorly converted. So the search for a decent experience on reading my pdf’s went on which led me to the next app.

FileMagnet - a file manager for the ipod/iphone. Does what it’s supposed to do allowing the ipod work like a thumb drive. Cons: Frequent warnings on low memory when reading large pdfs and much poorer reading experience than stanza. Price:3.99€. Pros: Everything that i can’t read on Stanza, i read here. Useful.

Instapaper - simple app for saving pages and then reading offline. This is probably the app i use the most now along with itunes. Free and paid version. No real cons.

SmartTime - an app i really appreciate. A todo list + calendar: it’s been done a thousand times before but they actually innovated in the ui. Cons: no integration with google calendar, no export/import.

Writing Pad - another innovator. Instead of the default experience we have on small software devices where we click letter after letter to write, we now basically draw a line in between all the letters - this simple difference makes the writing experience a bit less clumky and much faster. I’ve gotten so used to it that i miss it in other apps where i write. A really good idea for writing on small devices (and they’ve filed a patent).

Accountr - a simple app for finance management. Didn’t really like it at first but it’s really quick to register stuff and i keep using it so that’s a good sign. Price: 0.79€

I could also mention others like Evernote but those are the ones i’m using the most now. Suggestions welcome