How to Set Up a PHP Development Environment in VS Code with Docker Desktop A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a detailed, hands-on guide for setting up a PHP Project in VS Code using Docker Desktop with a comprehensive table of contents:

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Prerequisites
3. Installing Necessary Tools
4. Creating the Project Directory
5. Creating the Dockerfile
6. Setting Up docker-compose
7. Setting Up VS Code
8. Writing a Simple PHP Application
9. Running the Application with Docker
10. Debugging PHP in VS Code with Docker
11. Summary and Best Practices

1. Introduction

This tutorial guides you through setting up and running a PHP project in VS Code using Docker Desktop. It includes writing a simple PHP application, containerizing it with Docker, and debugging with VS Code.

2. Prerequisites

1. Basic knowledge of PHP.
2. A computer with:
   • Docker Desktop installed.
   • VS Code installed.
3. Installed VS Code extensions:
   • Docker
   • PHP Intelephense
   • PHP Debug

3. Installing Necessary Tools

1. Install Docker Desktop:
   
   Download and install from Docker's website.

2. Install VS Code:
   
   Download from Visual Studio Code.

3. Install VS Code Extensions:
   
   Open the Extensions tab (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install:

   • Docker: For managing Docker containers and images.
   • PHP Intelephense: For PHP syntax highlighting and autocomplete.
   • PHP Debug: For PHP debugging.

4. Creating the Project Directory

1. Open your terminal or file explorer.
2. Create a project directory:

   mkdir php_docker_project
   cd php_docker_project

1. Inside the directory, create a folder structure:

   mkdir -p src
   touch src/index.php

11. Summary and Best Practices

• Containerize early: Build and test PHP applications in Docker to ensure consistency across environments.
• Use docker-compose: Simplify the process of managing containers.
• Leverage extensions: Use VS Code extensions to enhance PHP development and debugging.
• Write clean, modular code: Organize files and separate concerns (e.g., src for source code).

This approach provides a scalable, flexible setup for PHP development with Docker and VS Code.

If you'd like to explore more on best practices, click here.

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