Nowadays many IDEs are moving to the cloud as well as web applications. Such cloud approach is less expensive, easy to update, use and manage. As the browser is essentially a thin client that allows users to access a variety of Cloud-based applications and services, more and more developers find it convenient and useful to work with cloud-based IDEs that are delivered through a browser. The benefits of cloud IDEs are obvious: its accessibility from anywhere in the world, from any compatible device; minimal-to-nonexistent download and installation; and ease of collaboration among geographically dispersed developers.
Jelastic's new FTP feature gives you a lot of cool new options. Today we'll show you how to use Cloud9 IDE, online development environment for Java, PHP, HTML, CSS and much more, to edit your application and configuration files right in the cloud.
At first let's examine what is Cloud9 and its main features more detailed. This is the platform professional developers have been waiting for. Workspace in the Cloud gives every developer the raw power of their own runtime environment. For developers with their own servers, there’s Cloud9+SSH, they can even connect to your FTP servers and use Cloud9 to see your file tree, drag-n-drop files and edit your code.
Want to get all the benefits of cloud IDE for your cloud app? It's easy, just follow the next steps.
Create an environment
1. Go to Jelastic.com and sign up if you haven't done it yet or log in with your Jelastic credentials by clicking the Sign In link on the page.
2. While in Jelastic dashboard, click the Create environment button.
3. In the Environment Topology dialog, pick your application server (for example, Apache), the database you want to use (e.g. MySQL), select PHP version (PHP v5.3 in our case) and switch on Public IPv4. Then type your environment name, for example, cloud9test.
In a minute your environment will be successfully created.
Install FTP
1. Click Add-ons button for your application server.
2. In the opened tab you'll see the list of all applications available for adding to your environment. Find FTP and click Install.
3. Сonfirm the installation by clicking Install button in the opened window.
After adding FTP to the Jelastic environment you'll get the email with credentials for accessing (FTP links, Login, Password, IPs etc.).
Deploy application
We use Joomla CMS, which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications, as an example. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made Joomla the most popular Web site software available. Best of all, Joomla is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone.
1. Go to the Joomla web site, navigate to Downloads and simply copy Download Joomla! x.x.x URL.
2. Upload the Joomla zip package to the Deployment manager via URL, you have just copied.
2. Deploy your package to the environment you have created earlier.
Configure database
1. Once the deployment is finished, click Open in browser button for MySQL node.
2. When you created the environment, Jelastic sent you an email with credentials to the database. Create an account and the database with the application using these credentials.
Install Joomla
1. Click the Open in browser button for Apache in your environment.
2. Follow the steps of Joomla installation starting with Main Configuration settings.
3. At the Database Configuration stage fill in the required fields in the following way:
- choose Database Type (MySQL in our case)
- state Host Name (insert the link to your database without "http://" and "/")
- type Username (your database user name)
- type Password (your database user password)
- type Database name (your database name)
4. The final step is Overview:
- Choose Sample Data from the list if you want to install any.
- Activate Email Configuration if you want to get the settings info to your email after installation.
- Look through configurations and click Install button.
Now you have your own Joomla in Jelastic PHP Cloud.
Set up Cloud9 FTP project
1. Go to c9.io and sign up if you haven't done it yet or log in with your Cloud9 credentials by clicking the Sign In link on the page.
2. Create a new workspace by clicking the appropriate button.
3. In the pop-up window that appears enter a workspace name, select FTP for the project type and specify your Host (Server Public IP), Username and Password using the FTP credentials you've got via email after FTP installation in Jelastic. Then click the Login Test to verify that the settings are correct. If the test succeeds, go ahead and click Create to create your FTP project.
4. To get started with your FTP project, click on the Start Editing button. You'll be taken to the editor.
5. Under Project Files, you will see the files from the FTP server in the directory you've selected. The editor for FTP projects works the same as in other projects: you can create and edit your files in the usual way.
6. Save the changes and they will be automatically reflected on your server in Jelastic.
7. With Cloud9 you can also easily monitor FTP log, which displays output related to the interaction with the FTP server.
As you see Cloud9 is really great and useful IDE, because you can program for the web on the web. Teams can collaborate on projects and run them within the browser. You can write, run, and debug your code, collaborate on your workspaces publicly, or keep it private.
A cloud IDE is perfect for web applications and web development moves to the cloud with high speed. Frequently, cloud IDEs are not only cloud-based but also designed for the creation of cloud apps. So, get more from cloud today!
Though we've only scratched the surface of the Cloud9 IDE and I'm sure I could miss something the makes it important for you, so please feel free to share your favorite features in comments below.
