This is a small and very simple windows application for taking text copied to the clipboard and formatting it as php-printable code. If you don’t get this then you are probably not a Web developer and you probably don’t need this. If you still don’t get this, watch the videos below.

Basically, this is kind of the windows version of my “html2php” program written for linux with Mono. They are for different platforms, and have different UI’s, but accomplish the same end result. I wrote this relatively quick (it is a very simple application after all) and I have done little testing. I wrote this because I work in Windows more often these days because Linux sound was a headache with my multiple soundcards and applications. Also, I use Skype to make and take office calls these days.

Since this is a very lightweight .NET app, it shouldn’t screw up your system in anyway. The installer allows it to be uninstalled by running it again or, in a pinch, you can uninstall from Control Panel. Anyways, consider this very early alpha.

Download MSI Installer (requires .NET framework)
Download Source Code

If you want to know more, checkout the poorly made videos below and try not to laugh too hard at my expense.

Video 1

After making the first video (Video 1), I thought my video was kind of lacking in the fact that it doesn’t show all the formatted text when it is pasted off the clipboard at the end. Therefore, I decided to give it another go around. However, this isn’t the best video either so I’m posting them both. So if the last one left you confused, hopefully this one will clarify usage a bit more. I think this may be overkill as using this one-button application is about the easiest thing imaginable. Just in case, here are all the usage steps:

1. Find text to copy.
2. Highlight and copy.
3. Open PHPizer (if not open already.)
4. Press the “PHPize!” button.
5. Paste contents of clipboard (already there) into editor.

Video 2

I should point out that you probably don’t want to have PHP print out heaps of HTML like this unless you plan on never having anyone change it. Because I was convinced (back in “the day”) that spitting out all the PHP-rendered content to the web server was the most efficient way possible, I got into the habit of writing code like this. Unfortunately, when designers I work with had to re-style my web pages, they really didn’t care to have to edit PHP code. So, from there, I “evolved” into writing all the HTML in PHP with the exception that the HTML was very basic and a designer could change the layout entirely with CSS. Well, again, that isn’t too friendly when you want to take the layout and make it look completely different. Now I’ve evolved into the idea of a view (or template.) In other words, let the designer decide what he or she wants to show and where (and how.) This requires abstracting almost all the business logic out of the page that actually shows the contents of the page with the exception of logic relating to layout. The MVC approach is now my favorite way of accomplishing the concept of views. Long story short: I rarely use these tools anymore because I feel they promote bad Web programming design. If you use them, I’m sure you have a good purpose in mind. Enjoy!