Dockerized PHP Application with Hot Reload

This repository contains a Dockerized PHP application setup with hot reload functionality for PHP file changes. This setup uses Docker and Docker Compose to streamline the development environment.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your local machine:

• Docker: Install Docker
• Docker Compose: Install Docker Compose

Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run the Dockerized PHP application locally:

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd <repository-directory>

2. Build and Start Docker Containers

Run the following command to build and start the Docker containers defined in docker-compose.yml:

docker-compose up --build

3. Access the Application

Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:8080 to view the PHP application.

Features

• PHP Version: PHP 7.4 with Apache server.
• Composer: Dependencies are managed using Composer. composer install is automatically run during the Docker build process to install PHPMailer and other dependencies.
• Hot Reload: Uses inotifywait to monitor PHP file changes and trigger actions like cache clearing or Apache server restart for instant updates.

Project Structure

The project directory structure is as follows:

my-php-app/
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
└── src/
    ├── index.php
    └── composer.json

• Dockerfile: Defines the Docker image for PHP application setup.
• docker-compose.yml: Orchestrates multiple Docker containers (PHP and Composer).
• src/: Contains PHP application files (index.php) and composer.json for Composer dependencies.

Usage

Monitoring File Changes

To enable hot reload for PHP file changes, a watch.sh script is provided:

1. Enter the PHP container:

   docker-compose exec php bash

2. Run the watch.sh script:

   ./watch.sh

The script monitors changes in the src/ directory and triggers actions (e.g., Apache server restart) for instant updates.

Customization

• Modify composer.json in the src/ directory to add or update PHP dependencies.
• Adjust the Dockerfile or docker-compose.yml for specific PHP configurations or additional services.

Notes

• This setup is intended for development environments. Review security and performance considerations before deploying to production.
• Ensure proper permissions and file paths are set up, especially with volume mounts and file watching mechanisms.