Development Environment Setup

This guide will walk you through setting up a complete development environment for the DWCS course. You’ll install PHP, MySQL, Apache, and configure everything needed to run the course examples locally.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux
At least 4GB of free disk space
Administrative/root access to install software
Git installed for cloning the repository

Quick Start Options

XAMPP (Recommended)
Manual Installation

XAMPP is an all-in-one package that includes PHP, MySQL, and Apache. This is the recommended approach for the course.

Download XAMPP

Download XAMPP 8.2.12 or later from apachefriends.org

The course materials are tested with PHP 8.2.12. Use XAMPP 8.2.12 for full compatibility.

Install XAMPP

Run the installer and select these components:

✅ Apache
✅ MySQL
✅ PHP
✅ phpMyAdmin

Recommended installation path:

Windows: C:/xampp-8-2-12/
Linux: /opt/lampp/
macOS: /Applications/XAMPP/

Start Services

Open XAMPP Control Panel and start:

Apache
MySQL

Verify by visiting http://localhost in your browser.

Install each component separately if you prefer more control:

Install PHP 8.2+

Windows: Download from windows.php.net
macOS: brew install php@8.2
Linux: sudo apt install php8.2 php8.2-cli php8.2-mysql php8.2-xml php8.2-mbstring

Install MySQL/MariaDB

Windows: Download MySQL Community Server from mysql.com
macOS: brew install mysql
Linux: sudo apt install mysql-server

Install Apache

Windows: Download from apachelounge.com
macOS: Apache is pre-installed, or use brew install httpd
Linux: sudo apt install apache2

Configure PHP with Apache

Add PHP module to Apache configuration and restart the server.

Clone the Course Repository

Once your server environment is ready, clone the course repository:

git clone https://github.com/davidgacaeduxuntagal/Curso25-26-MP0613-DWCS.git
cd Curso25-26-MP0613-DWCS

Note the full path where you cloned the repository. You’ll need this for Apache virtual host configuration.

Apache Virtual Hosts Configuration

Virtual hosts allow you to use friendly URLs like http://dwcs.localhost/ instead of http://localhost/long/path/to/files/.

Locate Apache Configuration

Find your Apache configuration directory:

XAMPP Windows: C:/xampp-8-2-12/apache/conf/extra/
XAMPP Linux: /opt/lampp/etc/extra/
Manual Install: Usually /etc/apache2/sites-available/

Look for httpd-vhosts.conf file.

Enable Virtual Hosts

In the main Apache config file (httpd.conf), uncomment this line:

Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Configure Virtual Hosts

Edit httpd-vhosts.conf using the template provided in the repository:

httpd-vhosts.conf

# Enable name-based virtual hosting
NameVirtualHost *:80

# IMPORTANT: Update this path to your repository location
Define DWCS-TRABAJO "C:/micarpeta/DELREPO/MP0613-DWCS"

# Default XAMPP htdocs (adjust path if needed)
<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerAdmin webmaster@dwcs.localhost
  DocumentRoot "C:/xampp-8-2-12/htdocs"
  ServerName localhost
  ServerAlias 127.0.0.1
  <Directory "C:/xampp-8-2-12/htdocs">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI
    Require all granted
    AllowOverride All
  </Directory>
  ErrorLog "logs/htdocs.localhost.log"
  CustomLog "logs/htdocs.localhost-access.log" common
</VirtualHost>

# DWCS Course Repository
<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerAdmin webmaster@dwcs.localhost
  DocumentRoot "${DWCS-TRABAJO}"
  ServerName dwcs.localhost
  ServerAlias dwcs.localhost
  <Directory "${DWCS-TRABAJO}">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI
    Require all granted
    AllowOverride All
  </Directory>
  ErrorLog "logs/dwcs.localhost.log"
  CustomLog "logs/dwcs.localhost-access.log" common
</VirtualHost>

Critical: Change the DWCS-TRABAJO path to match where you cloned the repository!

Update Hosts File (Optional)

Modern browsers automatically resolve *.localhost domains to 127.0.0.1, so this step is usually not needed.However, if you have issues or are using PHP HTTP clients (like SoapClient in TEMA-06), add this line:Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts Linux/macOS: /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1  dwcs.localhost

Restart Apache

Restart Apache from the XAMPP Control Panel or command line:

# XAMPP Linux
sudo /opt/lampp/lampp restart

# systemd-based Linux
sudo systemctl restart apache2

# macOS
sudo apachectl restart

Test Configuration

Visit http://dwcs.localhost/ in your browser. You should see the repository directory listing.Test a specific example:

http://dwcs.localhost/TEMA-02/BOLETINES/DWES-Boletin-01/E01/index.php

Alternative Configuration: For TEMA-08 Google API work, you may need to temporarily use http://localhost instead of subdomains, as Google OAuth2 has restrictions. See the commented-out virtual host section in EJEMPLO-httpd-vhosts.conf.

Database Setup

The course uses MySQL extensively, starting from TEMA-04.

Start MySQL Server

Start MySQL from XAMPP Control Panel or command line:

# XAMPP
# Start from Control Panel

# Linux systemd
sudo systemctl start mysql

# macOS
mysql.server start

Access MySQL

Connect to MySQL:

mysql -u root -p

Create Project Database

Run the database creation script from TEMA-04:

Terminal

mysql -u root -p < TEMA-04/SQL/proyecto.sql

Or import via phpMyAdmin:

Open phpMyAdmin
Click “Import” tab
Choose file: TEMA-04/SQL/proyecto.sql
Click “Go”

This creates:

Database: proyecto
Tables: tiendas, familias, productos, stocks
User: gestor@localhost with password secreto

Load Sample Data (Optional)

Populate the database with sample data:

mysql -u root -p proyecto < TEMA-04/SQL/datosProyecto.sql

Verify Database Setup

Test the connection with a PHP script:

test-db.php

<?php
$host = "localhost";
$db   = "proyecto";
$user = "gestor";
$pass = "secreto";
$dsn  = "mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db;charset=utf8mb4";

try {
    $conProyecto = new PDO($dsn, $user, $pass);
    $conProyecto->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    echo "✅ Database connection successful!\n";
    
    $stmt = $conProyecto->query("SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM productos");
    $result = $stmt->fetch();
    echo "Found {$result['count']} products in database.\n";
} catch (PDOException $ex) {
    die("❌ Error: " . $ex->getMessage());
}
?>

Run: php test-db.php

Database Schema

The main project database (proyecto) structure:

-- Stores
CREATE TABLE tiendas (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    nombre VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    tlf VARCHAR(13) NULL
);

-- Product Families
CREATE TABLE familias (
    cod VARCHAR(6) PRIMARY KEY,
    nombre VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL
);

-- Products
CREATE TABLE productos (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    nombre VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL,
    nombre_corto VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
    descripcion TEXT NULL,
    pvp DECIMAL(10, 2) NOT NULL,
    familia VARCHAR(6) NOT NULL,
    CONSTRAINT fk_prod_fam FOREIGN KEY(familia) 
        REFERENCES familias(cod) 
        ON UPDATE CASCADE 
        ON DELETE CASCADE
);

-- Inventory/Stock
CREATE TABLE stocks (
    producto INT,
    tienda INT,
    unidades INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
    CONSTRAINT pk_stock PRIMARY KEY(producto, tienda),
    CONSTRAINT fk_stock_prod FOREIGN KEY(producto) 
        REFERENCES productos(id) 
        ON UPDATE CASCADE 
        ON DELETE CASCADE,
    CONSTRAINT fk_stock_tienda FOREIGN KEY(tienda) 
        REFERENCES tiendas(id) 
        ON UPDATE CASCADE 
        ON DELETE CASCADE
);

For exam practice, additional databases are provided in MUESTRA-EXAMEN2-DWCS/UNIDAD-*/SQL/ with both schema (*-esquema.sql) and data (*-datos.sql) files.

PHP Configuration

Ensure your PHP installation has the required extensions.

Required PHP Extensions

; Enable these extensions (remove leading semicolon)
extension=mysqli
extension=pdo_mysql
extension=mbstring
extension=openssl
extension=curl
extension=fileinfo
extension=gd
extension=soap

; For debugging (TEMA-08)
[xdebug]
zend_extension=xdebug
xdebug.mode=debug
xdebug.start_with_request=yes
xdebug.client_port=9003

Recommended PHP Settings

php.ini

; Development settings
error_reporting = E_ALL
display_errors = On
display_startup_errors = On

; File uploads
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M

; Session configuration
session.cookie_httponly = 1
session.use_strict_mode = 1

Production Note: Never use display_errors = On in production! These settings are for development only.

VS Code Setup (Recommended)

The course includes VS Code configuration for debugging.

Install VS Code

Download from code.visualstudio.com

Install PHP Extensions

Install these VS Code extensions:

PHP Debug (xdebug.php-debug)
PHP Intelephense (bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client)
PHP Extension Pack (xdebug.php-pack)

Configure Launch Settings

The repository includes a sample configuration in EJEMPLO_vscode_launch.json. Copy it to .vscode/launch.json:

.vscode/launch.json

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Launch Chrome",
            "request": "launch",
            "type": "chrome",
            "url": "http://dwcs.localhost/${relativeFile}",
            "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
        },
        {
            "name": "Listen for Xdebug",
            "type": "php",
            "request": "launch",
            "port": 9003
        },
        {
            "name": "Launch built-in server and debug",
            "type": "php",
            "request": "launch",
            "runtimeArgs": [
                "-S",
                "localhost:3000",
                "-t",
                "."
            ],
            "port": 9003,
            "serverReadyAction": {
                "action": "openExternally"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Debug current script in console",
            "type": "php",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "cwd": "${fileDirname}",
            "externalConsole": false,
            "port": 9003
        }
    ]
}

Test Debugging

Set a breakpoint in a PHP file
Press F5 or click “Run and Debug”
Select “Listen for Xdebug”
Load the page in your browser
The breakpoint should trigger

API Keys Configuration

For TEMA-08, you’ll need API keys from various services.

Copy Configuration Template

Copy the template file:

cd TEMA-08
cp claves.inc.php claves.inc.php.local

Service	URL	Purpose
AEMET	opendata.aemet.es	Spanish weather data
OpenWeatherMap	openweathermap.org/api	Global weather
ExchangeRate-API	exchangerate-api.com	Currency rates
Google Cloud	console.cloud.google.com	OAuth2

GeoPlugin and Open-Meteo don’t require API keys.

Configure Keys

Edit claves.inc.php.local with your actual keys:

claves.inc.php.local

<?php
// AEMET API Key
$keyAEMET = "your-aemet-api-key-here";

// OpenWeatherMap API Key
$keyOpenWeatherMap = "your-openweathermap-key-here";

// Bing Maps API Key (optional)
$keyBing = "your-bing-maps-key-here";

// Google OAuth2 Credentials
$googleClientId     = "your-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com";
$googleClientSecret = "your-client-secret";

// Google OAuth2 for TAREA-08
$googleClientIdTarea8     = "your-tarea8-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com";
$googleClientSecretTarea8 = "your-tarea8-client-secret";
?>

Update .gitignore

Ensure your local keys file is ignored:

.gitignore

claves.inc.php.local
*.local.php

Security: Never commit real API keys to version control! The provided claves.inc.php contains dummy values for reference only.

Verify Installation

Run through this checklist to ensure everything is working:

PHP Version

php -v
# Should show PHP 8.2.12 or later

PHP Extensions

php -m | grep -E '(PDO|mysqli|mbstring|curl|soap)'
# Should list all extensions

Apache Status

Visit http://localhost/ - should show XAMPP dashboard or Apache default page

Virtual Host

Visit http://dwcs.localhost/ - should show repository directory listing

MySQL Connection

mysql -u root -p -e "SELECT VERSION();"
# Should display MySQL version

Project Database

mysql -u gestor -psecreto proyecto -e "SHOW TABLES;"
# Should list: familias, productos, stocks, tiendas

PHP Database Connection

Test a PHP file from TEMA-04:

http://dwcs.localhost/TEMA-04/ej3_1_3.php

Should execute without errors.

Troubleshooting

Apache won't start - Port 80 already in use

Problem: Another service (Skype, IIS, etc.) is using port 80.Solutions:

Stop the conflicting service
Change Apache port in httpd.conf:
```
Listen 8080
```
Then access via http://localhost:8080/

MySQL won't start - Port 3306 in use

Problem: Another MySQL instance is running.Solutions:

Stop other MySQL services from Services (Windows) or systemctl
Change MySQL port in XAMPP config
Use the conflicting MySQL if it’s compatible

404 Not Found on dwcs.localhost

Possible causes:

Virtual hosts not enabled in httpd.conf
Wrong path in DWCS-TRABAJO variable
Apache not restarted after config changes

Check:

# Test Apache config
apachectl -t
# or
httpd -t

Database connection errors

Common issues:

Access denied for user:
- User gestor@localhost doesn’t exist
- Run TEMA-04/SQL/proyecto.sql to create user
Unknown database ‘proyecto’:
- Database not created
- Import proyecto.sql
PDO driver not found:
- Enable pdo_mysql extension in php.ini
- Restart Apache

Xdebug not working

Verify Xdebug:

php -v
# Should show "with Xdebug v3.x.x"

Check php.ini:

[xdebug]
zend_extension=xdebug
xdebug.mode=debug
xdebug.start_with_request=yes
xdebug.client_port=9003

VS Code:

Ensure “Listen for Xdebug” is running (F5)
Check port 9003 in launch.json matches php.ini

SOAP/WSDL errors (TEMA-06)

Enable SOAP extension:

php.ini

extension=soap

DNS issues with .localhost domains: Add to hosts file:

127.0.0.1  dwcs.localhost

API calls failing (TEMA-08)

Check:

Valid API keys in claves.inc.php
curl extension enabled
openssl extension enabled
Internet connection active
API rate limits not exceeded

Test:

php -r "echo file_get_contents('https://www.google.com') ? 'OK' : 'FAIL';"

Alternative: Using PHP Built-in Server

For quick testing without Apache:

# Navigate to any TEMA directory
cd TEMA-02/BOLETINES/DWES-Boletin-01/E01

# Start PHP built-in server
php -S localhost:8000

# Access in browser
http://localhost:8000/index.php

The built-in server is great for quick tests but doesn’t support .htaccess files or some Apache-specific features. Use Apache virtual hosts for full compatibility.

Next Steps

Your environment is now ready! 🎉

Course Overview

Learn about the course structure and learning path

PHP Fundamentals

Begin with PHP fundamentals and form processing

Database Guide

Jump to database connectivity when ready

API Integration

Advanced: External APIs and OAuth2

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

Check the error logs:
- Apache: xampp/apache/logs/error.log
- PHP: Check error_log location with php --ini
- MySQL: xampp/mysql/data/*.err
Test incrementally:
- Verify each component separately
- Test with simple PHP files before complex examples
- Use phpinfo() to check configuration
Review course materials:
- Example configuration files in repository root
- Working examples in each TEMA
- Exam samples for reference implementations

Happy coding! 🚀

Get Started

PHP Fundamentals

Database Programming

Session Management

Web Services

AJAX & Jaxon

API Integration

Assignments & Exams

Development Environment Setup

Development Environment Setup

Prerequisites

Quick Start Options

Clone the Course Repository

Apache Virtual Hosts Configuration

Database Setup

Database Schema

PHP Configuration

Required PHP Extensions

Recommended PHP Settings

VS Code Setup (Recommended)

API Keys Configuration

Verify Installation

Troubleshooting

Alternative: Using PHP Built-in Server

Next Steps

Course Overview

PHP Fundamentals

Database Guide

API Integration

Getting Help

Get Started

PHP Fundamentals

Database Programming

Session Management

Web Services

AJAX & Jaxon

API Integration

Assignments & Exams

​Development Environment Setup

​Prerequisites

​Quick Start Options

​Clone the Course Repository

​Apache Virtual Hosts Configuration

​Database Setup

​Database Schema

​PHP Configuration

​Required PHP Extensions

​Recommended PHP Settings

​VS Code Setup (Recommended)

​API Keys Configuration

​Verify Installation

​Troubleshooting

​Alternative: Using PHP Built-in Server

​Next Steps

Course Overview

PHP Fundamentals

Database Guide

API Integration

​Getting Help

Development Environment Setup

Prerequisites

Quick Start Options

Clone the Course Repository

Apache Virtual Hosts Configuration

Database Setup

Database Schema

PHP Configuration

Required PHP Extensions

Recommended PHP Settings

VS Code Setup (Recommended)

API Keys Configuration

Verify Installation

Troubleshooting

Alternative: Using PHP Built-in Server

Next Steps

Getting Help