Debugging PHP with VSCode using the vscode-php-debug extension

VSCode can now support debugging PHP projects through the marketplace extension vscode-php-debug.

This extension uses XDebug in the background, and allows you to use breakpoints, watches, stack traces and the like:

Installation is straightforward from within VSCode: Summon the command line with F1 and then type ext install php-debug

Answer from flexponsive on Stack Overflow
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › languages › php
PHP in Visual Studio Code
November 3, 2021 - { "php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/bin/php" } or { "php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/local/bin/php" } Visual Studio Code includes a set of common snippets for PHP.
Discussions

PHP setup in VScode
i guess it depends on what you want to do... php is a preprocessing language so it needs to run on a server, if you are just testing and playing around or debugging and dont need to host your site you can do a localized one, theres a ton of ways to do it... i like xampp, just make a new folder on the htdocs and start it up (apache), then put your php files in there and access it through your browser, you can edit them with any text editor you want you dont need a specialized setup.... of course thats not the only way though just look around and choose what works best for you More on reddit.com
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July 31, 2023
How to run PHP code from Visual Studio Code (VSCode)? - Stack Overflow
I can't find a way to run php on Visual studio code, Does anyone know how? Duplicate: Yes it is but a little bit different from here. Steps: I followed below steps to configure php in VS Code. More on stackoverflow.com
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How to customize Visual Studio to php development?
Hi! I have just dropped my Dreamwaver account, too expansive for now. I have developed websites combining php and JavaScrip using Dreamweaver, Blue Fish, Atom (dying) and some apps that opens my website with the files in a box on the left, code the de… More on learn.microsoft.com
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How to use PHP with Visual Studio - Stack Overflow
First let me say I've never used PHP but I'm looking to learn it, so my question is this how do you use PHP within Visual Studio Ultimate? is it similar to how you declare JQuery i.e $(document)... More on stackoverflow.com
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People also ask

How do I debug PHP in VS Code?
Install the PHP Debug extension, configure XDebug in php.ini, and set up launch.json. Use breakpoints and press F5 to start debugging.
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wpwebinfotech.com
wpwebinfotech.com › wpweb infotech › blog › php › run php in visual studio code: easy setup & debugging tips
How To Run PHP In Visual Studio Code?
What’s the best way to format PHP code?
Use PHP Intelephense or PHP-CS-Fixer with editor.formatOnSave enabled. Configure rules in .php-cs-fixer.php for consistent styling.
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wpwebinfotech.com
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How To Run PHP In Visual Studio Code?
How do I enable error reporting in VS Code?
Add these lines to your PHP file or php.ini: error_reporting(E_ALL); ini_set('display_errors', 1);. Ensure your php.ini has display_errors = On for development.
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wpwebinfotech.com
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How To Run PHP In Visual Studio Code?
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/vscode › is there a "simple" way of running php soely through visual studio code?
r/vscode on Reddit: Is There A "simple" way of running PHP soely through Visual Studio Code?
April 1, 2024 -

So I've been using XAAMP to run PHP on my laptop and it works as it should. But it requires me to use a URL and then find the projects within the htdocs folder. I was wondering if there was something like Live Server that I could activate from Visual Studio and have it appear in the Web Browser.

I've done google searches on this already and it led me to download php extensions like php server and the php debugger extension.

However, I am a bit confused by these and what they do and I'm not sure if this is supposed to perform in a similar way that live server performs.

I've ran into issues though in getting VS Code to use the correct environmental variable. It keeps throwing an error that says the binaries couldn't be found or executed even though I have the path set in the json file to the folder holding the PHP related code.

I'm a bit confused and I'm also curious about whether or not what I'm trying to do is achievable or not.

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DigitalOcean
digitalocean.com › community › tutorials › how-to-set-up-visual-studio-code-for-php-projects
How To Set Up Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for PHP Development | DigitalOcean
May 28, 2021 - Visual Studio Code is a lightweight yet powerful code editor that can be customized to suit the needs of most developers. In this guide, you learned how to install and configure the PHP Intelephense extension for extra support while working on PHP projects, how to import and create new projects within VS Code, and how to customize the editor appearance for a more comfortable coding experience.
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WPWeb Infotech
wpwebinfotech.com › wpweb infotech › blog › php › run php in visual studio code: easy setup & debugging tips
How To Run PHP In Visual Studio Code?
December 30, 2025 - Learn how to run PHP in Visual Studio Code with this step-by-step guide. Set up a local server, debug with XDebug, and optimize your workflow.
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Microsoft
devblogs.microsoft.com › dev blogs › visual studio blog › php in visual studio
PHP in Visual Studio - Visual Studio Blog
November 3, 2022 - The server which is configured in the project (by default it’s PHP’s built-in Web server) will run and a browser opens. Then the breakpoint will get hit. Congratulations! You are debugging PHP in Visual Studio.
Find elsewhere
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Quora
quora.com › How-do-I-run-PHP-codes-in-Visual-Studio-Code
How to run PHP codes in Visual Studio Code - Quora
Well it is true that you can’t run PHP or for that matter any code in VS Code it is a code editor but a modular and powerful editor. So you can have workarounds that seems to be running your code but it is just redirecting your output to VS Code.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/webdev › php setup in vscode
r/webdev on Reddit: PHP setup in VScode
July 31, 2023 -

Hi there - I need help setting up PHP on VScode - I'm currently just trying to learn how to set up an account creation form on my website and am trying to link my html form to the php file to save the data but it's not working (I'm assuming it's because I don't have php setup). Can anyone give me a clear setup of instructions to run PHP on Vscode? I'm on Mac if that helps - I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!

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Coding Campus
codingcampus.net › home › how to run php in visual studio code
How to Run PHP in Visual Studio Code - Coding Campus
December 2, 2022 - This guide demonstrates the step-by-step process to configure, create and run a PHP file in Visual Studio Code.
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Brainly
brainly.com › computers and technology › high school › how do you run php code in the visual studio code terminal?
[FREE] How do you run PHP code in the Visual Studio Code terminal? - brainly.com
November 19, 2023 - Open the terminal in Visual Studio ... Studio Code terminal, you first need to ensure that PHP is installed on your computer and that the path to PHP is added to your system variables....
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Quora
quora.com › How-do-you-run-a-PHP-script-from-within-Visual-Studio-Code-VS-code-without-debugging-it
How to run a PHP script from within Visual Studio Code (VS code) without debugging it - Quora
Answer: There is a much easier way to run PHP, no configuration needed: 1. Install the Code Runner Extension 2. Open the PHP code file in Text Editoruse shortcut [code ]Ctrl+Alt+N[/code]or press [code ]F1[/code] and then select/type [code ]Run ...
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YouTube
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How to Run PHP in Visual Studio Code (2025) - YouTube
Learn how to run PHP in Visual Studio Code step-by-step! In this video, you’ll discover how to install PHP, configure VS Code, and run your PHP files using...
Published   November 12, 2025
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Setup and Run PHP in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on Windows 11 [2025] - YouTube
In this tutorial we are going to learn How to Setup and Run PHP in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on Windows 11 and How to install PHP in Windows 11 and How to...
Published   January 18, 2025
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Quirkweb Studios
quirkwebstudios.co.ke › home › blogs › web development › how to run php in visual studio code
How To Run PHP In Visual Studio Code - Quirkweb Studios
January 5, 2026 - Open the integrated terminal in Visual Studio Code by clicking View > Terminal or pressing Ctrl + ` . In the terminal, navigate to the directory containing your PHP file. Run the PHP script by typing the following command and pressing Enter:
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Studyopedia
studyopedia.com › home › setup and run php on visual studio code
Setup and Run PHP on Visual Studio Code - Studyopedia
April 9, 2021 - In this lesson, learn how to setup and run PHP on Visual Studio Code. After setting the environment, we will also run sample PHP program.
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DEV Community
dev.to › sainathpoojary › how-to-run-php-in-visual-studio-code-in-2021-hec
How to run PHP in Visual Studio Code in 2021? - DEV Community
March 28, 2021 - 1) Download and Install XAMPP You can find the XAMPP installer on the following permalink:...