PHP Multi-Version Development Environment

This Coder template creates a comprehensive PHP development environment with multiple PHP versions and supporting services, based on the vscode-remote-environment devcontainer.

Features

• Multiple PHP Versions: 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.2, 8.4 with PHP-FPM
• Web Server: Nginx with version-specific virtual hosts
• Database: MariaDB with persistent storage
• Development Tools:
  • Xdebug for debugging (port 9003)
  • PHP debugging extensions pre-installed
  • IBM DB2 client libraries and PHP extensions
• VS Code Integration:
  • Web-based VS Code (code-server)
  • Pre-configured with PHP development extensions
  • IntelliSense and debugging support

Port Configuration

Each PHP version runs on its own dedicated port:

• 8073: PHP 7.3 Web Server
• 8074: PHP 7.4 Web Server
• 8080: PHP 8.0 Web Server
• 8082: PHP 8.2 Web Server
• 8084: PHP 8.4 Web Server
• 3306: MariaDB Database
• 9003: Xdebug Port
• 13337: VS Code Server

Usage

Creating a Workspace

1. Create a new workspace using this template
2. Configure CPU cores (1-8) and memory (2-16 GB) as needed
3. Wait for the environment to build (first time may take 5-10 minutes)
4. Access your development environment through the VS Code app

Accessing Services

• VS Code: Use the "VS Code" app in your Coder dashboard
• PHP Servers: Use the respective PHP version apps (PHP 7.3, PHP 8.0, etc.)
• Files: Your code is persisted in /workspaces and available across restarts

Development Workflow

1. Clone your repositories into /workspaces
2. Edit code using the integrated VS Code
3. Test on different PHP versions using the respective server apps
4. Debug using Xdebug on port 9003
5. Access MariaDB on port 3306 for database operations

Database Configuration

Default MariaDB credentials:

• Host: localhost (or mariadb from within containers)
• Port: 3306
• Root Password: Novigo2025!!
• Database: my_database
• User: db_user
• Password: Novigo2025!!

VS Code Extensions Included

The environment comes pre-configured with essential PHP development extensions:

• PHP Debug (felixfbecker.php-debug) - Xdebug integration
• PHP Intelephense (bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client) - IntelliSense and code navigation
• PHP Tools (DEVSENSE.phptools-vscode) - Advanced PHP development features

IBM DB2 Support

The environment includes IBM DB2 client libraries and PHP extensions:

• ibm_db2 PHP extension
• pdo_ibm PHP extension
• Client libraries located at /opt/ibm/clidriver

Architecture

This template uses Docker-in-Docker with the following architecture:

• Main Container: Runs envbuilder to set up the devcontainer environment
• Multi-Container Setup: Nginx + multiple PHP-FPM containers + MariaDB
• Persistent Storage: Workspace files and database data persist across restarts
• Network Isolation: Each workspace gets its own Docker network

Resource Requirements

• Minimum: 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM
• Recommended: 4 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM
• For heavy development: 6-8 CPU cores, 8-16 GB RAM

Troubleshooting

Services Not Starting

If PHP servers aren't accessible:

1. Check the workspace logs in Coder
2. Verify the docker-compose services are running: docker-compose ps
3. Restart the workspace if needed

Database Connection Issues

1. Ensure MariaDB container is running
2. Check network connectivity between containers
3. Verify credentials match the environment variables

Performance Issues

1. Increase CPU/memory allocation in template parameters
2. Check if all PHP versions are needed (consider commenting out unused ones)
3. Monitor resource usage in Coder dashboard

Customization

Adding More PHP Extensions

Edit .devcontainer/Dockerfile to add additional PHP extensions:

RUN apt-get install -y php8.0-your-extension

Modifying PHP Configuration

Edit the respective php.ini files in .devcontainer/conf/phpXX/

Nginx Configuration

Modify virtual host configurations in .devcontainer/conf/nginx/conf.d/

Support

This template is based on the open-source vscode-remote-environment repository. For issues specific to the PHP environment setup, refer to that repository's documentation.

For Coder-specific issues, check the Coder documentation or contact your Coder administrator.