If downloading and configuring a decade-old XAMPP installer feels tedious, consider using modern virtualization tools that allow you to toggle PHP versions seamlessly.
Also, configuring Apache to properly handle PHP scripts and setting up virtual hosts can enhance your development workflow.
When working with MySQL/MariaDB, if you get the error “Call to undefined function mysqli_connect()”, your PHP installation may need the mysqli extension enabled in php.ini . Check the extension configuration and restart Apache. Also verify that MySQL service is running in the XAMPP control panel.
To enable an extension in php.ini , simply remove the semicolon prefix from the corresponding extension= line. After making changes, for the changes to take effect. xampp php 7.1.3
Run the following command in your C:\xampp\htdocs folder to create a clean Laravel 5.5 project compatible with your PHP 7.1.3 environment:
extension=curl extension=gd2 extension=mbstring extension=mysqli extension=openssl extension=pdo_mysql
Apache from public access by binding it to 127.0.0.1 . If downloading and configuring a decade-old XAMPP installer
For enhanced security:
If Apache fails to start, another application (often Skype, VMware, or Windows IIS) is likely utilizing Port 80 or 443.
Guide to XAMPP with PHP 7.1.3: Installation and Setup XAMPP is a popular, open-source cross-platform web server solution that bundles Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl into a single easy-to-install package. While modern web development often moves toward the latest PHP versions, many legacy applications and specific development projects still require or other versions within the PHP 7.1.x branch. Finding the Right XAMPP Version for PHP 7.1 Check the extension configuration and restart Apache
; Maximum execution time for scripts max_execution_time = 180
Older versions of Laravel (such as Laravel 5.4 and 5.5), Symfony, and CakePHP strictly require PHP 7.1.x.
Be careful to download the full installer version, not the virtual machine (VM) version. The full versions typically have names ending with "-installer.exe" or "-installer.dmg", while VM versions end with "-vm.dmg".