Makes installation, upgrades and uninstalls a simple tasks. Simplifies the packaging and deployment of code. Can even be used to generate RPMs. Has 3 different interfaces, keeps happy the GUI and command line fans. Is (most likely) included already in your installation. Use it. Writing PHPDoc-style docs is simple and requires little effort phpDocumentor is a great, free tool. Use it. API documentation is useful, not only for your own development, but also for the users of your code. We have seen other tools along the way: Vim + plugins to make PHP editing simpler. Dia, AutoDia and dia2code: UML diagrams, and a 'round-trip' design cycle Umbrello and umi2code: Another UML tool that plays well with PHP