Setting up a Laravel project correctly is important to avoid environment issues, dependency conflicts, and database connection problems. This guide explains the exact process our team should follow to run the project locally using XAMPP, Composer, Laravel, and MariaDB.

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Tech Stack Used

• Laravel

• PHP 8.x

• MariaDB / MySQL

• XAMPP

• Composer

• HTML/CSS/JavaScript

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1. Install Required Software

Install XAMPP

Download and install XAMPP:

https://www.apachefriends.org/

During installation make sure:

• Apache is installed

• MySQL/MariaDB is installed

• PHP is included

After installation:

• Start Apache

• Start MySQL

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Install Composer

Download Composer:

https://getcomposer.org/download/

and click on : Composer-Setup.exe

During installation:

• Select PHP path:

C:\xampp\php\php.exe

After installation verify Composer:

composer -V

Expected output:

Composer version 2.x.x

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2. Clone the Project

Clone repository:

git clone YOUR_GITHUB_REPOSITORY_URL (open the project in your vscode)

open terminal of vscode, Move into project directory: 

cd project-folder

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3. Install Laravel Dependencies

Run:

composer install

This command:

• Downloads Laravel packages

• Creates vendor folder

• Installs framework dependencies

Important:
Do not stop the process midway. (it will take some time to install all dependance) 

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4. Create Environment File

Laravel requires a .env file.

Run:

copy .env.example .env

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5. Generate Application Key

Run:

php artisan key:generate

Expected output:

Application key set successfully.

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6. Create Database

Open phpMyAdmin:

http://localhost/phpmyadmin

Create database:

restaurant_management or your own

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7. Import Database

Import SQL file into the newly created database.

Steps:

1. Open phpMyAdmin

2. Select database

3. Click Import

4. Choose SQL file

5. Click Go

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8. Configure Database in .env

Open .env file.

Update database settings:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=restaurant_management
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

Note:
Default XAMPP MySQL password is usually empty.

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9. Run Laravel Project

Recommended method:

php artisan serve

Expected output:

Server running on http://127.0.0.1:8000

Open in browser:

http://127.0.0.1:8000

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Important Notes

Do NOT open Laravel directly like this:

localhost/project-folder

Laravel should run using:

• php artisan serve
  OR

• proper Apache virtual host configuration

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Common Errors & Fixes

Error: vendor/autoload.php missing

Cause:

• Composer dependencies not installed

Fix:

composer install

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Error: composer not recognized

Cause:

• Composer not installed or PATH issue

Fix:

• Reinstall Composer

• Restart VS Code/Terminal

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Error: APP_KEY missing

Fix:

php artisan key:generate

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Error: Database connection failed

Check:

• MySQL running in XAMPP

• Database exists

• .env credentials correct

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Useful Commands

Start Laravel

php artisan serve

Clear Cache

php artisan optimize:clear

Run Migrations

php artisan migrate

Install Composer Packages

composer install

Update Packages

composer update

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Final Checklist

Before running project ensure:

• XAMPP installed

• Apache running

• MySQL running

• Composer installed

• .env created

• Database imported

• composer install completed

• Application key generated

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Conclusion

Following this setup process ensures:

• consistent development environment

• fewer dependency issues

• proper Laravel execution

• stable database connectivity

• smoother onboarding for new developers

All team members should follow the same setup process to maintain consistency across local environments.