Setting up a PHP development environment using Visual Studio Code and XAMPP on Windows

Download and install Visual Studio Code

You can find the Visual Studio Code installer on the following permalink: https://code.visualstudio.com/

Set up PHP Debug VSCode extension

1. Open the Visual Studio Code command Palette with CTRL+SHIFT+P
2. Find the PHP Debug extension by typing "PHP Debug"

3. Install the first match from Felix Becker

Install XAMPP Package

Note: If you already have a PHP Development environment, you can skip this step.

1. Download and install XAMPP from https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html

2. (Optional) If you already have IIS, Skype, or any Java app that uses port 80, you might want to change the Apache port. However, it's recommended to change your app's port instead (you can search online for instructions, e.g., how to change Skype's port). To change the default Apache port, follow these steps: a. Go to the httpd.conf file for Apache b. Find the Listen line and change the port to your desired port. For example:

   Listen 8066
   

   

   c. Save and restart the server

3. Go to the <ROOT>\xampp\htdocs folder and replace its contents with your PHP solution

Open the development folder with Visual Studio Code

In Visual Studio Code, go to File -> Open Folder and open <ROOT>\xampp\htdocs (where you put your PHP files).

Install and configure XDebug

There are two ways of installing the right XDebug version for your development machine:

1. If you're familiar with PHP development, you likely know the phpinfo(); global function.

2. If not, create the following file in your htdocs folder:

   <?php phpinfo(); ?>
   

   Place it in your development folder, then open it with your browser. It should look something like this:

   

3. Copy and paste the page content into the XDebug wizard's text field at https://xdebug.org/wizard

4. This will provide you with:

   • A download link for the correct XDebug binary
   • Instructions on how to install it
   • A line of code to add to your php.ini file (save this for the next step)

Modify php.ini

1. Open your php.ini file

2. Paste the following lines at the end of the file:

   [XDebug]
   xdebug.remote_enable = 1
   xdebug.remote_autostart = 1
   

3. Add the generated XDebug line below these new lines

4. The final result should look like this:

   [XDebug]
   xdebug.remote_enable = 1
   xdebug.remote_autostart = 1
   zend_extension = "C:\xampp\php\ext\php_xdebug-3.1.4-8.0-vs16-x86_64.dll"
   

5. Save the file and restart the Apache server

You should now have a fully configured PHP development environment with Visual Studio Code and XAMPP on Windows!