**Course Title:** Modern PHP Development: Best Practices and Advanced Techniques **Section Title:** Version Control and Deployment **Topic:** Set up version control for a PHP project using Git and deploy a basic PHP application to a server.(Lab topic) **Introduction** In this lab topic, we will explore the process of setting up version control for a PHP project using Git. Version control systems allow you to track changes to your codebase, collaborate with others, and maintain a record of all changes made to your project. We will also learn how to deploy a basic PHP application to a server. **Setting up Git** Before we begin, make sure you have Git installed on your machine. If you don't have Git installed, you can download it from the official Git website: [https://git-scm.com/downloads](https://git-scm.com/downloads). Once you have Git installed, open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to your project directory. Initialize a new Git repository by running the following command: ```bash git init ``` This will create a new Git repository in your project directory. **Configuring Git** Next, we need to configure Git with your name and email address. This information will be used to identify you as the author of changes made to your project. Run the following commands: ```bash git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "your_email@example.com" ``` Replace "Your Name" and "your_email@example.com" with your actual name and email address. **Creating a Git Repository** Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal or command prompt. Initialize a new Git repository by running the following command: ```bash git init ``` Create a new file called `index.php` and add some basic PHP code to it. Run the following command to add the file to the Git repository: ```bash git add index.php ``` Run the following command to commit the changes: ```bash git commit -m "Initial commit" ``` **Creating a GitHub Repository** Create a new repository on GitHub by logging in to your GitHub account and following these steps: 1. Click on the "+" icon in the top-right corner of the page. 2. Select "New repository". 3. Enter a name for your repository and a description. 4. Choose a public or private repository. 5. Click on the "Create repository" button. **Linking your Local Repository to GitHub** To link your local repository to your GitHub repository, you need to add the GitHub repository as a remote repository to your local repository. Run the following command: ```bash git remote add origin https://github.com/your_username/your_repository_name.git ``` Replace `your_username` and `your_repository_name` with your actual GitHub username and repository name. **Deploying to a Server** To deploy your PHP application to a server, you need to upload your files to the server. You can use an FTP client or the File Manager in your hosting control panel to upload your files. Alternatively, you can use Git to deploy your application to a server. To do this, you need to set up a Git repository on your server and link it to your local repository. **Using `git push` to Deploy** To deploy your application to a server using Git, you need to add a new remote repository to your local repository that points to the server. Run the following command: ```bash git remote add production https://your_username@your_server:/path/to/your_repository.git ``` Replace `your_username`, `your_server`, and `/path/to/your_repository.git` with your actual server credentials and repository path. Run the following command to push your changes to the server: ```bash git push production master ``` This will deploy your application to the server. **Conclusion** In this lab topic, we learned how to set up version control for a PHP project using Git and deploy a basic PHP application to a server using Git. We also explored how to configure Git, create a Git repository, and link it to a GitHub repository. **Practical Takeaways** * Set up version control for a PHP project using Git. * Configure Git with your name and email address. * Create a new Git repository and link it to a GitHub repository. * Deploy a basic PHP application to a server using FTP or Git. **External Resources** * Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs](https://git-scm.com/docs) * GitHub help: [https://help.github.com](https://help.github.com) **Next Steps** In the next topic, we will review advanced topics in PHP development, including WebSockets, real-time applications, and REST APIs. **Leave a Comment or Ask for Help** If you have any questions or need help with setting up version control for a PHP project using Git, leave a comment below or ask for help. There are no other discussion boards.