DesignPatternsPHP - Complete Deployment & Usage Guide

Prerequisites

• PHP 8.x - The project is built for PHP 8.x
• Composer - Dependency manager for PHP
• PHPUnit - Testing framework (installed via Composer)
• Docker (optional) - For running documentation locally
• Git - For cloning the repository

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/DesignPatternsPHP/DesignPatternsPHP.git
cd DesignPatternsPHP

2. Install Dependencies

composer install

3. Verify Installation

Run the tests to ensure everything is working correctly:

./vendor/bin/phpunit

Configuration

Environment Setup

No specific environment variables or API keys are required for this project. It's a learning resource for design patterns in PHP.

Documentation Configuration

If you want to build and browse the documentation locally, you can use Docker. The documentation supports multiple languages, but currently only English is actively maintained.

Build & Run

Running Tests

The project includes comprehensive test suites for each design pattern. Run all tests:

./vendor/bin/phpunit

Running Individual Pattern Tests

Navigate to specific pattern directories and run tests individually. For example, to test the Iterator pattern:

cd Behavioral/Iterator
../vendor/bin/phpunit

Running Documentation Locally (Docker)

docker-compose up --build

Access the documentation at: http://localhost:8080/

Building Documentation for Different Languages

# For German documentation
docker-compose build --build-arg language=de
docker-compose up

Deployment

Platform Recommendations

Since this is a PHP project containing educational code samples and documentation, consider these deployment options:

1. GitHub Pages - Perfect for hosting the documentation
2. Vercel/Netlify - For static documentation sites
3. Self-hosted PHP server - If you want to run the code samples live

Deploying Documentation to GitHub Pages

1. Build the documentation using Docker
2. Copy the generated documentation files
3. Deploy to your GitHub Pages repository

Production Considerations

This project is primarily educational content. For production deployment:

• Ensure PHP 8.x compatibility
• Consider caching for the documentation site
• Set up proper error handling for any live code execution

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Composer Installation Fails

Issue: composer install fails with dependency conflicts Solution:

composer update
composer install

2. PHPUnit Not Found

Issue: ./vendor/bin/phpunit command not found Solution: Ensure Composer dependencies are installed:

composer install --no-dev
composer install

3. Docker Build Fails

Issue: Docker build fails with language parameter Solution: Check available language options in the documentation configuration. English is the only actively maintained language.

4. Tests Failing

Issue: Tests fail with unexpected results Solution:

• Verify PHP version is 8.x
• Check that all dependencies are properly installed
• Review the specific test file for any pattern-specific requirements

5. Documentation Not Loading

Issue: Documentation site doesn't load after docker-compose up Solution:

# Check Docker logs
docker-compose logs

# Rebuild and restart
docker-compose down
docker-compose up --build

Performance Tips

• For local development, use PHP's built-in server: php -S localhost:8000
• Cache Composer dependencies when working with the project frequently
• Use Docker volumes for persistent documentation builds

Development Workflow

1. Make changes to pattern implementations
2. Run relevant tests: ./vendor/bin/phpunit path/to/test.php
3. Update documentation if needed
4. Test documentation build with Docker
5. Commit changes with clear, descriptive messages

This guide provides everything needed to work with DesignPatternsPHP, from initial setup through deployment and troubleshooting.