Step 1: Configure PhpStorm to Use the Xdebug Proxy

• Access PhpStorm Settings: Navigate to File > Settings on Windows/Linux, or PhpStorm > Settings... on macOS.
• Find PHP Xdebug proxy Settings: Go to PHP > Debug > DBGp Proxy.
• Set Up Xdebug Proxy:
  • Copy your IDE key from IDE keys management page and paste it to IDE key field.
  • Specify the Host: xdebug.host and Port: 9001.
• 
• Apply Changes: Click OK to save your settings.

Step 2: Register IDE with Xdebug Proxy

Before PhpStorm can listen for connections from the Xdebug proxy, you need to register your IDE with the proxy server. This process tells the proxy your IDE key and where to forward incoming debugging connections.

Just navigate to main menu Tools > DBGp Proxy > Register IDE

Step 3: Start Listening for PHP Debug Connections

Activate listening for incoming debug connections by clicking on the Start Listening for PHP Debug Connections icon in toolbar.

Step 4: Debugging with PhpStorm

With the configuration complete, you're ready to debug:

• Set Breakpoints: Click next to the line numbers in your PHP code where you want execution to pause.
• Initiate Debug Session by trigger your PHP script. This usually means accessing a specific URL with trigger value in Cookies or query string. You can use Web browser extension to simplify toggling trigger:
  • Chrome: Xdebug Helper
  • Firefox: Xdebug Helper or Xdebug-ext
  • Edge: Xdebug Helper
  • Safari: Xdebug Key
• Use Debugger Features: Once a breakpoint is hit, use PhpStorm's debugging tools to step through code, inspect variables, and evaluate expressions.

Conclusion

Registering your IDE with the Xdebug proxy server is a critical step for remote debugging, ensuring that the proxy correctly routes debugging information to PhpStorm. By following these instructions, including the registration process, you can set up a robust remote debugging environment that leverages the power of Xdebug with PhpStorm, enhancing your development efficiency and problem-solving capabilities.

Step 1: Install PHP Debug Extension

• Open VS Code.
• Go to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon on the sidebar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on MacOS).
• Search for "PHP Debug" by Xdebug (xdebug.org) and install it.

Step 2: Configure VS Code for Xdebug.HOST

• Create a PHP Debug Configuration: Go to the Run view by clicking on the play icon on the sidebar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+D (Cmd+Shift+D on MacOS). Click on "create a launch.json file", then select PHP. This creates a launch.json file in the .vscode folder of your workspace.
• Edit launch.json for Proxy Settings: Add or modify the configurations to include the pathMappings and port, according to your server setup. Here’s an example configuration:

•                                                     
                                                          {
                                                            "version": "0.2.0",
                                                            "configurations": [
                                                              {
                                                                "name": "Listen for XDebug.HOST",
                                                                "type": "php",
                                                                "request": "launch",
                                                                "port": 9003,
                                                                "pathMappings": {
                                                                  "/var/www/html": "${workspaceFolder}/src",
                                                                  "/app": "${workspaceFolder}"
                                                                },
                                                                "proxy": {
                                                                  "enable": true,
                                                                  "host": "xdebug.host",
                                                                  "port": 9001,
                                                                  "key": "123ABC456MYACCOUNTKEY789QW_alice"
                                                                }
                                                              }
                                                            ]
                                                          }
                                                      
                                                  

• Adjust pathMappings to match your server and local paths.

Step 4: Start Debugging

• Start Listening: In VS Code, go to the Run view, select "Listen for XDebug.HOST" from the dropdown, and click the green play button. This tells VS Code to start listening for incoming Xdebug connections and register your IDE on XDebug.HOST.
• Trigger Debugging: Trigger an Xdebug session from your application. This can be done by accessing a web page or running a script that initiates an Xdebug session with the correct IDE key.
  • Chrome: Xdebug Helper
  • Firefox: Xdebug Helper or Xdebug-ext
  • Edge: Xdebug Helper
  • Safari: Xdebug Key
• Interact with Debugger: Once connected, you can use VS Code's debugging tools to step through code, inspect variables, and evaluate expressions.

Conclusion

Setting up Visual Studio Code for use with an Xdebug proxy involves configuring both Xdebug to communicate through the proxy and VS Code to listen for connections from the proxy. This setup is invaluable for remote debugging or environments where direct connections to Xdebug are not feasible. By following these steps, you can leverage the powerful debugging features of Xdebug within the versatile and user-friendly VS Code editor, enhancing your PHP development workflow.