what debugger

[jimfog]

I am using netbeans to develop PHP applications and now i am in search of a good debugger. In the Netbeans site Xdebug is proposed as a debugger but i am interested also on what you have to say. Thanks.

[justsomeguy]

The Zend IDE is the official debugger, there's a list of others here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/debugger-about.php

[jimfog]

Since i do not use zend ide i will use xdebug

[jimfog]

I just run this tool here http://xdebug.org/wizard.php and here is the message i get: The compiler (MS VC6) that this PHP was build with, is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a version that was built with MS VC9. It seems there is a problem with the compiler and i cannot install xdebug unless upgrading. The question is how i upgrade the compiler, do i just upgrade PHP(i have PHP 5.3 running on XAMPP)? I have never upgraded PHP on XAMP, how am i going to do it? Do i just unzip in the specified folder? P.S One last question, since PHP is interpreted why a compiler is needed?

[boen_robot]

PHP - the language - is interpreted by an interpreter.PHP - the interpreter - is written in the C language, which is compiled.What you have on your machine is a version of the PHP interpreter. That interpreter itself is considered to be "compiled/built" since it was produced by a compiler. You don't have a compiler.So, when the page says

The compiler (MS VC6) that this PHP was build with

It's referring to the thing that produced the interpreter.You don't upgrade the compiler, since you don't have one. You upgrade the interpreter with another one that was generated by another compiler.Since you're currently using XAMPP, it might be a better idea to uninstall it before you continue, and then install Apache separately. A compilation of Apache built with VC9 that PHP recommends is ApacheLounge's compilation. Installation instructions are found within the zip archive.PHP builds are found on a separate page on the PHP site. Since you'll be using ApacheLounge's build, you'll need the "VC9 x86 Thread Safe" build. The "VC9" part is important for XDebug, and the "Thread Safe" part is important for Apache.

[jimfog]

PHP - the language - is interpreted by an interpreter.PHP - the interpreter - is written in the C language, which is compiled. What you have on your machine is a version of the PHP interpreter. That interpreter itself is considered to be "compiled/built" since it was produced by a compiler. You don't have a compiler. So, when the page says It's referring to the thing that produced the interpreter. You don't upgrade the compiler, since you don't have one. You upgrade the interpreter with another one that was generated by another compiler.

Good explanation

Since you're currently using XAMPP, it might be a better idea to uninstall it before you continue, and then install Apache separately. A compilation of Apache built with VC9 that PHP recommends is ApacheLounge's compilation. Installation instructions are found within the zip archive. PHP builds are found on a separate page on the PHP site. Since you'll be using ApacheLounge's build, you'll need the "VC9 x86 Thread Safe" build. The "VC9" part is important for XDebug, and the "Thread Safe" part is important for Apache.

Are you sure this is the way to go, in other words you are saying to get rid of XAMPP, yes, but what if XAMP offers some features that are really needed and this ad hoc solution you propose does not. I have set 3 local sites with XAMPP and I am intimidated having to set up these again "manually". I am just asking.

[boen_robot]

Well, you'll have to manually install MySQL also... but that's the easiest part of the whole process - you just download the MSI from MySQL's site, press "Next" on all dialogs, and you're done.Other than that... let's see... [opens up Apachefriend's home page and XAMPP's page]- phpMyAdmin - OK, yes, if you want to use that, you'd have to install it manually. Personally, I prefer to use MySQL Workbench, which in addition to being generally more awesome is also easier to install (another MSI file...).- OpenSSL - The ApacheLounge binary includes it (for HTTPS serving's sake), and the PHP archive also includes it (for HTTPS consumption's sake).- XAMPP Control Panel - obviously, no. But honestly, how much have you used that control panel? Only to occasionally restart Apache? There's the Apache monitor tool for that... I believe it was part of the ApacheLounge binary.- Strawberry Perl - you don't use Perl, do you?- FileZilla FTP Server - If you only access your files locally, you don't need it. If you absolutely need an FTP server on your home computer, installation is trivial.- Tomcat 7.0.21 - do you use JSP? If not, you don't need that.

[jimfog]

Well, you'll have to manually install MySQL also... but that's the easiest part of the whole process - you just download the MSI from MySQL's site, press "Next" on all dialogs, and you're done. Other than that... let's see... [opens up Apachefriend's home page and XAMPP's page]- phpMyAdmin - OK, yes, if you want to use that, you'd have to install it manually. Personally, I prefer to use MySQL Workbench, which in addition to being generally more awesome is also easier to install (another MSI file...).- OpenSSL - The ApacheLounge binary includes it (for HTTPS serving's sake), and the PHP archive also includes it (for HTTPS consumption's sake).- XAMPP Control Panel - obviously, no. But honestly, how much have you used that control panel? Only to occasionally restart Apache? There's the Apache monitor tool for that... I believe it was part of the ApacheLounge binary.- Strawberry Perl - you don't use Perl, do you?- FileZilla FTP Server - If you only access your files locally, you don't need it. If you absolutely need an FTP server on your home computer, installation is trivial.- Tomcat 7.0.21 - do you use JSP? If not, you don't need that.

Ok, all in all, you are saying that installing components separately is better(since some are not needed)-and not difficult.And another thing, since I already have 3 local sites,do you thing it will be difficult to transfer them in this new setting you are mentioning. This last is what bothers me most.

[birbal]

no it should not be problem. your local site will be there you need to point out out correctly your web root when you install those manualy to get it worked. but it wont collapse your site

[jimfog]

I am in the proccess of installing separately pache,php and mysql. I downloaded apache from here http://www.apachelounge.com/download/win64/and php from here http://windows.php.net/download/ as boen robot suggested I am reading this tutorial here:http://www.ricocheting.com/how-to-install-on-windows/php I installed apache successfully but i cannot install php. The problem arises when following step 5(in "installing PHP")-after i do thatApache will not restart-i have downloaded php thread safe, so this is the correct version.

[boen_robot]

Download the 32 bit version of Apache.Even if your Windows is a 64 bit one, it can still run the 32 bit binary, and for PHP to work, that's exactly what you should use.

[jimfog]

The problem continues.Apache does not restart. A window appears telling "Requested operation has failed"I tried to start Apache from the command prompt and here is the message that i got

C:\Apache24\bin>httpd.exehttpd.exe: Syntax error on line 1 of C:/Apache24/conf/httpd.conf: Cannot load C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll into server: \xc4\xe5\xed \xde\xf4\xe1\xed \xe4\xf5\xed\xe1\xf4\xfc \xed\xe1 \xe5\xed\xf4\xef\xf0\xe9\xf3\xf4\xe5\xdf \xe7 \xea\xe1\xe8\xef\xf1\xe9\xf3\xec\xdd\xed\xe7 \xe4\xe9\xe1\xe4\xe9\xea\xe1\xf3\xdf\xe1. C:\Apache24\bin>

Here is line 1LoadModule php5_module "C:\php\php5apache2_2.dll" Do you see any syntax error in the above line? The whole code of course that goes to apache config is the:

LoadModule php5_module "C:\php\php5apache2_2.dll"AddType application\x-httpd-php.phpPHPIniDir "C:\php"

I even tried changing the slashes from back ones to forward ones but without any result.

Edited April 24, 2012 by jimfog

[boen_robot]

You have two options:1. Get the PHP 5.4.1RC2 (or wait 2 more days for the final PHP 5.4.1 to come out), and use the php5apache2_4.dll in it.2. Get the Apache 2.2.* (32 bit) binary, and apply that same configuration file to it instead.The problem is Apache 2.4 compatibility was only added in the latest PHP release, and 2.4 is not backwards compatible with 2.2.Note that if you choose option 1, you'd also need to use XDebug 2.2.0RC2, as opposed to 2.1.4.

[jimfog]

You have two options: 1. Get the PHP 5.4.1RC2 (or wait 2 more days for the final PHP 5.4.1 to come out), and use the php5apache2_4.dll in it.

Are you sure it will come out in 2 days? I followed option 1 but there was not any php5apache2_4.dll in the php folder? Edited April 24, 2012 by jimfog

[boen_robot]

That's odd given PHP 5.4.1RC2's change log... oh well... php5apache2_3.dll (Apache 2.3 is the "beta" version of Apache 2.4; this DLL should be compatible with 2.4)?As for the coming out in 2 days... that's what the front page on php.net says:

PHP 5.4.1 final will be released on April 26.

[jimfog]

That's odd given PHP 5.4.1RC2's change log... oh well... php5apache2_3.dll (Apache 2.3 is the "beta" version of Apache 2.4; this DLL should be compatible with 2.4)? As for the coming out in 2 days... that's what the front page on php.net says:

Since the dll(i can neither find php5apache2_3.dll) was not found i will have to wait for the final version in 2 days. And to be precise that we are talking about the same thing, here is the name of the file i downloaded: php-5.4.1RC2.tar.

[boen_robot]

tar? I think you might have downloaded PHP's source code... and I meant the Windows binary (at http://windows.php.net/qa/)

[jimfog]

oh...but since we are 1 day away from the production version then i will wait till tomorrow and hopefully the problem will be solved

[jimfog]

sorry for the so late response-do me a favor, can you give me the link of the correct php file to install.I downloaded this one php-5.4.4RC2-Win32-VC9-x86 but the error message is the same and Apace is not started. The message is this:

Syntax error on line 515 of C:/Apache24/conf/httpd.conf: Cannot load C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll into server: \xc4\xe5\xed \xde\xf4\xe1\xed \xe4\xf5\xed\xe1\xf4\xfc \xed\xe1 \xe5\xed\xf4\xef\xf0\xe9\xf3\xf4\xe5\xdf \xe7 \xea\xe1\xe8\xef\xf1\xe9\xf3\xec\xdd\xed\xe7 \xe4\xe9\xe1\xe4\xe9\xea\xe1\xf3\xdf\xe1.

In the php file I downloaded I did not find php5apache2_4 as I expected to.

[jimfog]

No need to worry, I solved the issue.

[boen_robot]

Let me guess, you downloaded the DLL from ApacheLounge?('cause that's what I ended up doing just yesterday...)

[jimfog]

Let me guess, you downloaded the DLL from ApacheLounge? ('cause that's what I ended up doing just yesterday...)

Exactly-although I do not understand why this file is not included in the php 5.4.4 installation.

[birbal]

cause php package is for general package.they dont makr servers and php can be used not only with apache but other servers or other versions. so you need to compile the proper connector for server when you compile it. for the same reason compiled zip package does not include it.

[boen_robot]

cause php package is for general package.they dont makr servers and php can be used not only with apache but other servers or other versions. so you need to compile the proper connector for server when you compile it. for the same reason compiled zip package does not include it.

Well, strictly speaking, PHP does include a web server since PHP 5.4.0, plus it has always included connectors for Apache 1, Apache 2.0, and Apache 2.2.I'm guessing the reason they don't include it is that previously, the connectors were for official Apache binaries. But there aren't official Apache 2.4 binaries, and they can't include binaries for every possible Apache compilation. So ApacheLounge ends up distributing its own connectors for its own Apache compilation.

[birbal]

Well, strictly speaking, PHP does include a web server since PHP 5.4.0,

yes i know that. recently i upgraded to 5.4.4 but did not manage time to practice the new added features. though i don't think it is for production use and only for development purpose.

plus it has always included connectors for Apache 1, Apache 2.0, and Apache 2.2.

as far i can remember there was not any connector when i mannualy installed first time around 1.5 year ago, i had to download it seprately.