• Project Creation & Migration: The New Project Wizard creates a new PHP Web Application targeting Windows Azure. Existing PHP projects can be converted to Windows Azure projects (or vice-versa) using the migration tool.
• Azure Project Structure & Management: The windowsazure4e plug-in creates the project artifacts that Windows Azure expects, including a Windows Azure Service project and a Web-role Project, as well as Windows Azure configuration and definition files. Project and Windows Azure settings are exposed via the properties window in Eclipse
• Storage Explorer: As part of the plug-in, a Windows Azure Storage Explorer is provided within the Eclipse environment. The Storage Explorer allows easy management of Windows Azure Storage Accounts. In addition, it also provides a friendly user-interface for performing Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations on Blobs, Queues, and Tables.

  The Storage Explorer it built using the Windows Azure SDK for Java^TM.

• Azure Project Deployment: Once the PHP application for Windows Azure had been developed and tested locally on the Windows Azure Development Fabric, the application can be packaged up for Windows Azure deployment with a right-clicking on the target project from within Eclipse.

 

2. Project contributors

 

Soyatec (Analysis and Development)

Soyatec, located in Paris France, Xi’An and ShenZhen China, is an international software company and one of major Eclipse solution providers. It was Founded in 2006 by a group of Java engineers who had worked on Eclipse since 2002. As Eclipse Foundation Member, it has contributed to several Eclipse projects: Visual Editor, BPMN2 and e4.

 

It develops and markets the first XAML solution for Java: eFace, and provides OutSourcing Eclipse development in China.

Microsoft Corporation (Funding, Architectural & Technical Guidance, Project Management)

 

3. Screenshots

	Project wizard	Storage Explorer
	Run in Development Fabric	Debug in Development Fabric

 

 

The plug-in provides complete project management including new project wizard, project import and resource management. The project structure is compatible with Microsoft Visual Studio and Expression Blend.

 

4. Roadmap

 

Milestone 1: October 2009 (Community Technology Preview)

• Project New Wizard
• Project Conversion (Converting PHP Project to Windows Azure Project (and vice-versa))
• Windows Azure Library Management
• Azure Project Structure Management
• PHP and Windows Azure Project Configuration
• Azure Storage Explorer (Management and CRUD support for Blob Storage and Table Storage)
• Local Debugging in the Development Fabric

 

Final: November, 2009 (Release to Web)

• Support for Windows Azure Logging Services
• Azure Storage Explorer (Add Management and CRUD support for Queue Storage)
• Complete user documentation & Prescriptive Tutorials
• Defects & Regression Testing
• Developer Usability Testing