Adobe Dreamweaver

While largely considered a legacy tool in modern web development, Adobe Dreamweaver may appear in job descriptions for PHP roles focused on maintaining or modernizing older websites. Dreamweaver was an all-in-one IDE that combined a visual WYSIWYG editor with a code editor, and it had significant support for PHP and MySQL, making it a popular choice for building sites in the past.

The Role in Legacy PHP Projects

A PHP developer in a role requiring Dreamweaver skills is often tasked with supporting existing applications. Responsibilities include debugging PHP code within the Dreamweaver environment, managing files via its built-in FTP client, and working with sites that may not use modern development practices like version control or dependency management. The goal is often to ensure stability, apply security patches, or gradually refactor the codebase for migration to a modern stack.

Essential Competencies

Success in these roles requires a strong foundation in core web technologies and the ability to navigate older codebases. Key skills include:

• Strong knowledge of procedural PHP and older versions of the language.
• Proficiency in HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript.
• Experience with direct database connections using mysqli or PDO.
• Patience and a methodical approach to debugging and refactoring legacy code.