Deploying PHP Applications

# CHAPTER 18

Deploying PHP Applications #

1. Introduction #

2. Learning Objectives #

• Understand the difference between Shared Hosting, VPS, and Cloud servers.

• Use an FTP client (like FileZilla) to transfer files.

• Export a local MySQL database and import it to a live server.

• Configure environment variables to secure database credentials.

3. Beginner-Friendly Explanation #

4. Types of PHP Hosting #

• Shared Hosting (cPanel): (e.g., Hostinger, GoDaddy, Bluehost). You share a large server with hundreds of other websites. Very cheap, very easy. Best for beginners and small projects.

• VPS (Virtual Private Server): (e.g., DigitalOcean, Linode). You get your own private chunk of a server. You must install Apache and PHP via command line yourself. Best for intermediate developers.

• Cloud/PaaS: (e.g., AWS, Heroku, Laravel Forge). Auto-scaling enterprise infrastructure. Highly complex.

5. Step 1: Exporting the Database #

1. 1. Open local http://localhost/phpmyadmin.

1. 2. Click your taskapp database.

1. 3. Find the MySQL Databases section. Create a new database (e.g., user123taskdb), a new username, and a strong password. *Write these down!*

1. 4. Open the live phpMyAdmin in your hosting dashboard. Select your new database, click Import, and upload the .sql file you downloaded earlier.

7. Step 3: Securing Credentials (Environment Variables) #

Create a file named db_config.php:

<?php
// This file holds the LIVE credentials
define(&#039;DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // Often remains localhost on shared servers
define(&#039;DB_NAME', 'user123_taskdb');
define(&#039;DB_USER', 'user123_admin');
define(&#039;DB_PASS', 'SuperSecretPassword!');
?>

Update your main config.php:

<?php
require_once &#039;db_config.php';

try {
    $pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=" . DB_HOST . ";dbname=" . DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASS);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    die("Database connection failed."); // Do not print the error on live!
}
?>

8. Step 4: Transferring Files (FTP) #

1. 1. Download a free FTP client like FileZilla.

1. 2. Enter your hosting FTP IP address, username, and password (found in your hosting dashboard).

1. 3. Connect to the server. You will see a folder called publichtml (or htdocs). This is the live version of your local htdocs folder.

1. 4. Drag and drop your project files (except local test files) into publichtml.

9. Step 5: Final Configuration #

• Permissions: If your app allows users to upload files (like profile pictures), ensure the uploads/ directory on the live server has write permissions (chmod 755).

• Error Reporting: Double-check that displayerrors is turned OFF in your live code to prevent hackers from seeing debug traces.

• Uploading the .env or Config File to Public Repos: If you push your dbconfig.php file to a public GitHub repository, hackers run automated bots that scrape GitHub for passwords. They will steal your database in 5 minutes. Always add configuration files to your .gitignore file.

12. Exercises #

1. 1. Explain the multi-step process of migrating a local MySQL database to a live hosting environment.

13. MCQs with Answers #

14. Interview Questions #

• Q: Describe the deployment pipeline from a local XAMPP environment to a live Shared Hosting server. How do database credentials change?

• Q: Why is it considered a critical security vulnerability to push hard-coded database passwords in a config.php file to a version control system like GitHub?

15. FAQs #

16. Summary #

17. Next Chapter Recommendation #