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.