On Developer.com there's a new article with what they think are the top ten PEAR packages that every developer should know and use in their applications.

PHP developers also have another community-driven treasure trove at their disposal, one which is host to almost 600 high-quality libraries yet never seems to garner the attention it deserves. I'm referring to the PHP Extension and Application Repository, better known as PEAR, and in this article I'll try to shine the spotlight just a bit brighter on this fantastic community resource by highlighting 10 useful PEAR libraries (better known as packages) that have become an indispensable part of my programming toolkit.

Included in their list of "Top Ten" are things like:

• Authenticating Users with Auth
• Cleaning Up Your Code with PHP_Beautifier
• Downloading Files with HTTP_Download
• Enforcing Coding Standards with CodeSniffer
• Managing Git Repositories with VersionControl_Git