How to Update PHP Version In XAMPP?

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To update the PHP version in XAMPP, follow these steps:

  1. First, identify the desired PHP version that you want to update to. Search for the appropriate PHP version compatible with XAMPP.
  2. Download the desired PHP version for your operating system from the official PHP website or other trusted sources.
  3. Extract the downloaded PHP files to a temporary location on your computer.
  4. Locate the XAMPP installation directory on your computer. Typically, it is installed in the "C:\xampp" directory for Windows, "/Applications/XAMPP" for Mac, and "/opt/lampp" for Linux.
  5. Open the XAMPP installation directory and navigate to the "php" folder.
  6. Rename the existing "php" folder to "php_backup" or any other name of your choice. This is done to keep a backup of the previous PHP version.
  7. Copy and paste the extracted PHP files from the temporary location to the XAMPP "php" folder.
  8. Open the XAMPP control panel and stop all running services (Apache, MySQL, etc.).
  9. Restart the XAMPP services one by one to apply the changes to the updated PHP version.
  10. Verify the PHP version by accessing the PHP info page through the browser. In the URL, append "/phpinfo.php" after the localhost address (e.g., http://localhost/phpinfo.php). The PHP info page will display the updated PHP version.


Following these steps will allow you to successfully update the PHP version in XAMPP.

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How to install additional PHP extensions in XAMPP?

To install additional PHP extensions in XAMPP, follow these steps:

  1. Open your XAMPP installation directory (e.g., C:\xampp) and navigate to the "php" folder.
  2. Inside the "php" folder, locate the "php.ini" file and open it with a text editor.
  3. Search for the line that starts with "extension=", which is usually near the bottom of the file.
  4. Uncomment the desired PHP extension by removing the semicolon at the beginning of the line. For example, to enable the MySQL extension, remove the semicolon from ";extension=mysqli".
  5. Save the changes and exit the text editor.
  6. Restart the Apache server in XAMPP to apply the changes. You can do this by clicking the "Stop" button next to "Apache" and then clicking the "Start" button.


Note: Un-commenting the extension in the PHP configuration file enables it within XAMPP, but you still need to have the appropriate DLL file for the extension in the "ext" folder. If the extension you want to install is not included in XAMPP by default, you may need to download the DLL file and place it in the "ext" folder within the "php" folder of your XAMPP installation.


How to check XAMPP error logs after PHP update?

To check the XAMPP error logs after a PHP update, follow these steps:

  1. Open your XAMPP installation folder. The default location for XAMPP is usually "C:\xampp" on Windows and "/Applications/XAMPP" on macOS.
  2. Navigate to the "apache" folder within the XAMPP installation folder.
  3. Inside the "apache" folder, locate and open the "logs" folder.
  4. Look for the error log file named "error.log" or "error_log" (without any file extension). This file contains the logs for Apache errors that occurred during PHP execution.
  5. Open the error log file using a text editor.
  6. Scroll through the log file and look for any recent entries related to PHP errors. The log file will include details such as the timestamp, error message, and the file where the error occurred.
  7. Analyze the error logs to identify the causes of the errors and troubleshoot accordingly.


Note: You can also check the PHP error logs separately. In the XAMPP installation folder, navigate to the "php" folder instead of the "apache" folder. Inside the "php" folder, look for the "logs" directory. The PHP error log file is usually named "php_error.log" or "error_log".


How to locate the PHP folder in XAMPP?

To locate the PHP folder in XAMPP, follow these steps:

  1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
  2. Click on the "Explorer" button next to the "Apache" module. This will open the XAMPP installation folder in Windows Explorer.
  3. In the XAMPP installation folder, you will find a folder named "php". This is the PHP folder in XAMPP.
  4. If you need to access the PHP configuration file (php.ini), you can find it in the "php" folder. Look for a file named "php.ini".


That's it! You have now located the PHP folder in XAMPP.


How to test the updated PHP version in XAMPP?

To test the updated PHP version in XAMPP, you can follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you have installed the updated PHP version in XAMPP. You can check this by going to the XAMPP installation directory and navigating to the php folder. Make sure the files of the updated PHP version are present in this folder.
  2. Open the XAMPP control panel and start Apache.
  3. Edit your PHP file, or create a new one, with a simple code to test the PHP version. For example, create a file named test.php in the htdocs folder of your XAMPP installation.
  4. In the test.php file, add the following code:
1
2
3
<?php
phpinfo();
?>


This will display the PHP information, including the PHP version, on your webpage.

  1. Save the file and open your web browser.
  2. Type http://localhost/test.php in the address bar and press Enter.
  3. If everything is configured correctly, you should see the PHP information displayed on the webpage, including the updated PHP version.


This confirms that your updated PHP version is working correctly in XAMPP.


What is the recommended PHP version for XAMPP?

As of May 2021, the recommended PHP version for XAMPP is PHP 7.4.

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