To set up a Laravel project on your Windows machine using XAMPP

Prerequisites

  1. XAMPP Installed: Ensure XAMPP is installed and running on your system. Download it from Apache Friends.
  2. Composer Installed: Install Composer, the dependency manager for PHP. Download it from getcomposer.org.
  3. PHP Installed: XAMPP usually comes with PHP. Verify the PHP version is compatible with the Laravel version you intend to install.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start XAMPP Services

  1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
  2. Start Apache and MySQL.

2. Set Up a Database

  1. Open phpMyAdmin in your browser by visiting: http://localhost/phpmyadmin.
  2. Create a new database:
    • Click on New in the sidebar.
    • Name the database (e.g., laravel_db) and click Create.

3. Install Laravel Using Composer

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
  2. Navigate to your XAMPP’s htdocs directory:bashCopycd C:\xampp\htdocs
  3. Create a new Laravel project:bashCopycomposer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel laravel-app Replace laravel-app with your desired project folder name.

4. Configure .env File

  1. Navigate to your Laravel project directory:bashCopycd laravel-app
  2. Open the .env file in a text editor.
  3. Update the database configuration:envCopyDB_CONNECTION=mysql DB_HOST=127.0.0.1 DB_PORT=3306 DB_DATABASE=laravel_db DB_USERNAME=root DB_PASSWORD= # Leave blank if no password is set for MySQL.

5. Serve the Laravel Application

  1. Run the Laravel development server:bashCopyphp artisan serve
  2. Access the application in your browser:arduinoCopyhttp://127.0.0.1:8000

6. Configure Apache (Optional)

If you prefer to access the Laravel project via http://localhost/laravel-app:

  1. Open the XAMPP httpd-vhosts.conf file:makefileCopyC:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf
  2. Add the following configuration:apacheCopy<VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/laravel-app/public" ServerName laravel-app.test </VirtualHost>
  3. Add the domain to your hosts file:
    • Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts as an administrator.
    • Add this line:Copy127.0.0.1 laravel-app.test
  4. Restart Apache in the XAMPP Control Panel.
  5. Access the application via http://laravel-app.test.

7. Run Database Migrations

  1. Run the following command to set up tables in your database:bashCopyphp artisan migrate

Troubleshooting

  • If Composer is not recognized, ensure it’s added to your system’s PATH.
  • If the development server doesn’t start, ensure PHP is correctly configured in XAMPP.

You’re now set up to develop your Laravel project using XAMPP!