I've been reminiscing about how simple XAMPP used to be for local PHP development. Back in the day, I managed numerous projects under one setup with custom local domains like projectA.test and everything running smoothly without the complexity of containers or YAML files. Now, it seems there are only messy options: sticking with XAMPP, which struggles with multiple PHP versions, or diving into Docker, which, while flexible, feels like overkill for my old laptop and the kind of simple development I do. I'm looking for suggestions on what people are using these days for local PHP development on Windows, especially for managing multiple projects without going all out with Docker.
5 Answers
I still use WAMP for my personal projects, and it's been pretty reliable. Switching between PHP versions is straightforward, and I haven’t run into too many issues with multiple projects. Just a simple setup, without the frills of Docker!
I haven't heard much about WAMP lately. Are there notable downsides you’ve encountered with it?
A lot of people find Docker the best route to go nowadays. It's really the quickest way to get entire stacks set up side by side. Yes, it feels bloated on Windows, but once you get the hang of it, it's a game changer. You can quickly create environments for different projects in containers without the hassle of conflicts. Just run `docker compose up` and you're good to go!
I hear you, but Docker can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially for older machines. How do you handle running multiple PHP versions in Docker?
Yeah, Docker is great but it feels a bit much for basic setups. Have you tried using it just for specific use cases?
I switched from XAMPP to Laragon, and it's been so much smoother for my PHP projects. It's lightweight and easy to use, especially for someone who needs to juggle a few projects at once! Plus, you can run different PHP versions with minimal hassle.
I was skeptical, but after giving Laragon a try, it's hard to turn back. So much less setup hassle.
Just a word of caution—make sure you're using the free version from GitHub, as the paid version can be misleading.
If you're looking for something like XAMPP but more modern, I really like DDEV. It's simple to set up, and I found that the onboarding was pretty quick. You can manage multiple projects at the same time quite easily. The documentation is solid too!
Thanks for the tip! How does DDEV deal with switching PHP versions? Is it smooth?
Exactly! I've had a good experience running it with WSL on Windows too. Very user-friendly.
Honestly, I still use XAMPP because it's just easy for straightforward PHP and MySQL projects. Sure, updating PHP is not one-click, but I've gotten pretty fast at it! For more complex projects with additional databases or frameworks, I might consider Docker, but XAMPP works fine for me.
But how do you handle multiple versions without it getting messy? That sounds like a headache.
Exactly! XAMPP is simple, though it can be a bit annoying when juggling versions. Do you also experience that?
How do you manage different setups with WAMP? Is it still smooth with a few projects running?