For those developers who spend most of their coding time with Microsoft development tools, the world of *nix is a scary place. In this chapter, we will cover various tools and configurations that make Drupal a friendly place for developers who prefer Windows.

So if you’re a Windows developer, welcome to the wonderful world of Drupal!

There are systems out there that can make your Windows environment look like Linux. Cygwin comes to mind. But I, and a lot of Windows developers that I know, are not looking for that. People who develop on Windows are comfortable in their environment and don't want their beloved environment to look like Linux. They want to be able to use the tools they feel comfortable with and still get the benefits of the hard work done by the open-source community.

Windows developers have the same desires to give back to the community as the Linux-focused crowd, but the Windows zeitgeist is mostly fee for service. By showing the Windows developers that there's a community of openness and sharing in the Drupal world, they might have that incentive to give back and will expand the community as a whole.