How to install PHP Xdebug in Eclipse on Windows?

Question

I have a PHP file and I want to debug that file in Eclipse. I have heard about Xdebug as the best way to debug a PHP file in Eclipse.

What are the steps needed to be able to debug PHP files in Eclipse? I am using Windows OS.

Answer 1

1. Download PHP for eclipse (PLUGIN eclipse)

Use update URL https://download.eclipse.org/tools/pdt/updates/7.0

2. Download XAMPP for windows and install it https://www.apachefriends.org/es/download.html

Now you can follow alternative instructions here or continue to the next point where i explain what you need to do. http://robsnotebook.com/php_debugger_pdt_xdebug

After installing XAMPP you should start Apache

Download Xdebug e.g http://xdebug.org/files/php_xdebug-2.9.2-7.2-vc15-x86_64.dll and check if it is correctly installed. Follow next instructions

1. Download php_xdebug-2.9.2-7.2-vc15-x86_64.dll. 
2. Move the downloaded file to C:\xampp\php\ext
3. Update C:\xampp\php\php.ini and change the lines

    [XDebug]
    ;; Only Zend OR (!) XDebug
    ; zend_extension_ts="C:\xampp\php\ext\php_xdebug.dll"
    ; Modify the filename below to reflect the .dll version of your xdebug
    zend_extension = C:\xampp\php\ext\php_xdebug-2.9.2-7.2-vc15-x86_64.dll
    xdebug.remote_enable=true
    xdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1  ; if debugging on remote server,
                              ; put client IP here
    xdebug.remote_port=9000
    xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
    xdebug.profiler_enable=0
    xdebug.profiler_output_dir="C:\xampp\tmp"

4. Restart the XAMPP webserver in your XAMPP control Panel

Comment out any Zend Optimizer in php.ini because it is not compatible with XDebug. For example, all of this should be commented out (using “;”): [Zend]

; zend_extension_ts = "C:\xampp\php\zendOptimizer\lib\ZendExtensionManager.dll"
; zend_extension_manager.optimizer_ts = "C:\xampp\php\zendOptimizer\lib\Optimizer"
; zend_optimizer.enable_loader = 0
; zend_optimizer.optimization_level=15
;zend_optimizer.license_path =

Check that it is working with phpinfo. You go to your browser and go to: http://localhost/dashboard/phpinfo.php Or create in your c:/xampp/htdocs A file calling phpinfo e.g. http://localhost/phpinfocall.php

Configuration PHP debug in eclipse You can create a PHP project. That project should be pointint to C:\xampp\htdocs

The C:\xampp\htdocs is the localserver root folder in xampp. Inside you can create subfolders.

Configure PHP Preference of eclipse Connect eclipse with php parser of xampp

Configure this and check that xdebug is detected in eclipse from xampp

How to create a debug view from a PHP file in your project

Debug view configuration below,

Lastly, you will see in the debug perspective, that the debugger stop automatically on the first line of your php file.