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:

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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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