LexiQuest

Project Setup Instructions

This document will guide you through setting up and running LexiQuest, including database setup, server requirements, and development tools.

Prerequisites

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

• PHP 8.x
• Composer
• XAMPP (for MySQL and phpMyAdmin)
• Node.js (for npm)
• Git (optional, for version control)

Installation Steps

1. Clone the repository
   Clone the repository to your local machine using Git or download the zip file.

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd <project-directory>
   

2. Install PHP Dependencies
   Install all PHP dependencies using Composer.

   composer install
   

3. Install Node Modules
   Install the required node packages.

   npm install
   npm audit fix
   

4. Environment Configuration
   Copy the .env.example file to .env and configure the environment variables.

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Edit the .env file and update the following fields to match your MySQL database setup:

   DB_CONNECTION=mysql
   DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
   DB_PORT=3306
   DB_DATABASE=<your-database-name>
   DB_USERNAME=<your-mysql-username>
   DB_PASSWORD=<your-mysql-password>
   

5. Set Up MySQL Database

   • Open XAMPP and start Apache and MySQL servers.
   • Access phpMyAdmin via localhost/phpmyadmin.
   • Create a new MySQL database with the name specified in your .env file.

6. Run Migrations & Seeders
   To set up the database schema and seed the necessary data, run the following Artisan commands:

   php artisan migrate
   php artisan db:seed
   

7. Build Frontend Assets
   To compile the front-end assets (CSS, JS, etc.), run:

   npm run dev
   

8. Start the Development Server
   Finally, you can start the development server by running:

   php artisan serve
   

   The application will be accessible at http://127.0.0.1:8000.

Optional Commands

• To run the database migrations with seeders again (resetting the database):

  php artisan migrate:fresh --seed
  

• To watch for file changes and recompile assets:

  npm run watch
  

Troubleshooting

• XAMPP MySQL not starting:
  Ensure no other service is using the default MySQL port (3306). If needed, change the MySQL port in the XAMPP settings and update the .env file accordingly.

• Permission issues:
  Ensure the proper file permissions are set for the project folder, especially for directories like storage and bootstrap/cache.

Credits

• Laravel - Official Documentation
• XAMPP - Official Documentation
• Composer - Official Documentation

License

This project is open-source and freely available under the MIT License.