A WordPress Developer's Tips for Using Panic Coda

I use Panic Coda for coding. I like its Mac-style interface and it “fits” me well. There are some items that are frustrating, including a lack of auto-complete for functions you’ve already used in your code. Here are three tips to improve your coding experience.

My Three WordPress + Coda Tips

1. Install WordPress Syntax mode for Panic Coda

As a WordPress developer, I use lots of WordPress functions. This will allow you to auto-complete WordPress functions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include function parameter hints, but that’s what tip #3 is for.

2. Replace your WordPress Syntax mode colors

I didn’t like the color set it came with, so I exported my colors:

1. Go to Preferences > Colors
2. Select the color set you like in the “Language” window (I exported PHP-HTML)
3. Click the “Export” tab
4. Edit the `.seestyle` file in a text editor
5. Find and replace `PHP-HTML` with `PHP-HTML-WP`
6. Save the file
7. In Coda, click the Import button and select the `.seestyle` file
8. Voila: your colors are now what you’re used to.

3. Configure a WordPress Codex book in Coda

Coda comes built-in with six reference “books”; web-based documentation pages for HTML, Javascript, PHP, and CSS.

There was an awesome shortcut in Coda I didn’t know about: Command + Double-click on a function name to open a Coda Book describing that function.

How to configure a WordPress book

1. Press Command-6 (or go to View > Mode > Books)
2. Click the + button in the bottom-left of the window
3. Use the following settings:
   • Book Title: WordPress
   • Book URL: `http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/`
   • Cover Image: Optional. DRÄ Studio has an article with tons of more book options and a nice WordPress cover image to use.
   • Use for Mode: `PHP-HTML` or `PHP-HTML-WP`, depending on whether you installed the Syntax Mode in Step 1
   • Search URL: `http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/*`
4. Click OK

Now, when you have auto-completed functions and you forget what parameters the function takes, you can Command+Double-click the function name and be taken directly to the WordPress Codex page relating to it!