Downloading and installing the Xdebug debugging engine

• –Download the Xdebug extension compatible with your version of PHP
  and save it in the php/ folder.
  • –
    The location of the php/ folder is defined
    during the installation of the PHP engine.
  • –
    If you are using an AMP package, the Xdebug extension may be already installed.
    Follow the instructions in the xdebug.txt.

Enabling Xdebug integration with the PHP engine

1. 1Open the active php.ini file in the editor:
   1. 1

      Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by choosing File | Settings for Windows and Unix or
      PhpStorm | Preferences for OS X,

      and

      click PHP under Languages&Frameworks.

   2. 2
      On the PHP page that opens, click next to the Interpreter field.
   3. 3
      In the Interpreters dialog box that opens, the Configuration File read-only field
      shows the path to the active php.ini file. Click Open in Editor.
2. 4To disable the Zend optimizer, which blocks Xdebug, remove the [Zend] section
   or mark it as comment in the php.ini file:
   
[Zend]
zend_extension_ts = "<path to ZendExtensionManager.dll>"
zend_extension_manager.optimizer_ts = "<path to Zend Optimizer>"
zend_optimizer.enable_loader = 0
zend_optimizer.optimization_level=15
zend_optimizer.license_path =
Local Variables:
tab-width: 4
End:

3. 5To enable Xdebug, locate the [Xdebug] section in the php.ini file
   and update it as follows:
   • –For a thread-safe PHP engine, version 5.2:
     
[Xdebug]
zend_extension_ts="<path to php_xdebug.dll>"
xdebug.remote_enable=true
xdebug.remote_port="<the port for Xdebug to listen to>" (the default port is 9000)
xdebug.profiler_enable=1
xdebug.profiler_output_dir="<AMP hometmp>"

   • –For a non-thread-safe PHP engine, version 5.2:
     
[Xdebug]
zend_extension_nts="<path to php_xdebug.dll>"
xdebug.remote_enable=true
xdebug.remote_port="<the port for Xdebug to listen to>" (the default port is 9000)
xdebug.profiler_enable=1
xdebug.profiler_output_dir="<AMP hometmp>"

   • –For any PHP engine, version 5.3 and higher:
     
[Xdebug]
zend_extension="<path to php_xdebug.dll>"
xdebug.remote_enable=1
xdebug.remote_port="<the port for Xdebug to listen to>" (the default port is 9000)
xdebug.profiler_enable=1
xdebug.profiler_output_dir="<AMP hometmp>"

4. 6
   To enable multiuser debugging via Xdebug proxies,
   locate the xdebug.idekey setting and assign it a value of your choice.
   This value will be used to register your IDE on Xdebug proxy servers.
5. 7Save and close the php.ini file.

Integrating Xdebug with PhpStorm

1. 1

   Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by choosing File | Settings for Windows and Unix or
   PhpStorm | Preferences for OS X,

   and

   click PHP under Languages&Frameworks.

2. 2
   Check the Xdebug installation associated with the selected PHP interpreter:
   1. 1

      On the PHP page, choose the relevant PHP installation from the Interpreter drop-down list
      and click the Browse button next to the field.
      The list shows all the PHP installations available in PhpStorm, see Enabling PHP Support.

   2. 2

      The Interpreters dialog box that opens shows the following:

      • –
        The version of the selected PHP installation.
      • –
        The name and version of the debugging engine associated with the selected PHP installation (Xdebug or Zend Debugger).
        If no debugger is configured, PhpStorm shows Debugger: Not installed.

   Alternatively, open the Xdebug checker, paste the output of the phpinfo(),
   and click Analyze my phpinfo() output.

   Learn more about checking the Xdebug installation in Validating the Configuration of a Debugging Engine.

3. 3Define the Xdebug behaviour. Click Debug under the PHP node.
   On the Debug page that opens, specify the following settings in the Xdebug area:
   • –
     In the Debug Port text box, appoint the port through which the tool will communicate with PhpStorm.

     This must be exactly the same port number as specified in the php.ini file:

     
xdebug.remote_port = <port_number>


     By default, Xdebug listens on port 9000.

   • –To have PhpStorm accept any incoming connections from Xdebug engines through the port specified in the Debug port text box,
     select the Can accept external connections check box.
   • –To have addresses of variables shown during a debugging session, select the Show variables addresses check box.
   • –
     To have PhpStorm apply a workaround to overcome a known Xdebug on FreeBSD crash issue,
     select the Enable workaround for [Xdebug on FreeBSD crash] check box.
4. 4
   To have Xdebug stop as soon as connection between it and PhpStorm is established (instead of running automatically until the first breakpoint is reached),
   turn on the Run | Break at first line in PHP scripts option on the main menu.