Suggestions for an Apache CONF IDE

[csdude55]

Any suggestions on a program or website that has a good IDE for Apache configuration? It's quite the pain to constantly upload, restart Apache, wait 30 seconds, test, repeat...

I've been using this one, which works well but it's really for htaccess and somewhat limited:
[htaccess.madewithlove.com...]

JDoodle has every language under the sun EXCEPT for Apache :-/ It has at least 12 languages I'd never even heard of! LOL

[graeme_p]

You can edit the file using an editor which can open files over ssh. No upload step.

Alternatively ssh in and use an editor in the terminal Nano, vim, Micro....

You can test the config syntax with:

httpd -t

or

apachectl configtest

[robzilla]

Apache is not a language per se, so I wouldn't expect any IDE to be able to validate your config.

If you're waiting 30 seconds because it's a busy server, I would recommend you set up a separate development/testing server.

[csdude55]

The other issue is that I wait until after 1am to upload and restart, so that I don't disrupt traffic. But that means I have limited time to work before getting sleepy, so I end up having to spread it all out over days and days :-/

Using httpd -t or configtest might be OK, I'm assuming that I would just need to take the original .conf files and rename them to something without a .conf extension, but Apache would still run as if they were in place until it's actually restarted. Right? If so then it's not the same as an IDE or emulator, but it's better than nothing.

[robzilla]

so that I don't disrupt traffic

You can do a graceful restart at any time without disrupting traffic.

Apache would still run as if they were in place until it's actually restarted. Right?

Right. Of course, a valid config is not necessarily the same as one that's working as intended.

That's why it can be helpful to have a test environment.

[csdude55]

In order to have a useful test environment, I really need a second server with all of the same scripts and everything. That becomes cost prohibitive :-/

[phranque]

if you are testing your configuration directives (you are asking for a "development environment" for your apache server config, correct?), you don't need the entire server environment.
you only need apache and the relevant modules installed.
as soon as apache hands off control to your script (or logs the error for a missing script), your server config testing is done.
your apache config IDE could be a WAMP/MAMP install at practically no additional cost...

[lucy24]

An additional suggestion, if you're not already doing so: designate one obscure directory on one obscure site as a test directory, and set its AllowOverride to allow everything. Not universally applicable, of course, but most directives that can be used in .htaccess can now be tested on the fly in this directory without restarting everything.

[csdude55]

Just for future readers, I ended up following @lucy24's suggestion. It's not perfect since data in htaccess doesn't always copy over to Apache config, but at least it helps me eliminate syntax errors without disrupting anything :-)