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!