Creating My PHP Blog: Step-by-Step Guide

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Day 1: Project Setup
  • Step 1: Initial Setup
  • Step 2: Initialize Git Repository
  • Step 3: Let's Go with Coding

Overview

This guide documents the creation of my PHP blog over two days, detailing each step of the process.

Day 1: Project Setup

Step 1: Initial Setup

1. Create a New Directory:
   • Create a folder for your project and name it as you wish blog_project(example):
   • Run the command in your terminal:

     mkdir blog_project
     cd blog_project

   • Inside the blog_project folder create subdirectories to organize your code:

     mkdir .docker
     touch .docker/Dockerfile
     touch docker-compose.yml
     mkdir assets
     mkdir assets/css
     mkdir assets/images
     mkdir assets/js
     touch assets/css/style.css
     touch assets/js/main.js
     mkdir src
     cd src
     touch index.php
     touch about.php
     touch blog.php
     touch send_emails.php
     touch subscribe.php
     touch unsubscribe.php
     touch subscribers.txt
     mkdir md
     mkdir templates
     touch templates/header.php
     touch templates/footer.php

   • .docker folder will contain your Dockerfile
   • docker-compose.yml will define your Docker containers
   • assets folder fill contain your css, js file and images folder
   • src folder will contain all your PHP code and HTML files
   • index.php will have your main page code(what user will see when he goes to your website)
   • about.php will have your code for about page
   • blog.php will have your code for displaying of your post cards and your post markdown textes
   • send_emails.php will contain your email sending code
   • subscribe.php && unsubscribe.php will handle your subscribe and unsubscribe functionality
   • subscribers.txt will contain emails of your subscribers for weekly or bi-weekly emailing
   • src/md will contain your posts markdown texts
   • templates will contain your header and footer file that you can include in all your pages

Step 2: Initialize Git Repository

2.1 Initialize Git in Your Project Directory:

• Open your terminal and navigate to your project directory.
  • Run the command:

    git init

2.2 Add the GitHub Repository as a Remote:

• You need to add the GitHub repository URL as the remote origin. Make sure to replace youraccount and yourrepository with your actual GitHub username and repository name:
  • Run the command:

    git remote add origin https://github.com/youraccount/yourrepository.git

2.3 Add Your Project Files to Git:

• Add all your project files to Git’s staging area by running the following command:
  • Run the command:

    git add .

    2.4 Commit Your Changes:

• Create an initial commit with a message:
  • Run the command:

    git commit -m "First commit"

    2.5 Push Your Code to GitHub:

• Push your local project to the main branch of your GitHub repository:
  • Run the command:

    git push -u origin main

• If GitHub asks for authentification, provide your GitHub username and personal access token(password).
• Now your project is connected to the repository, and the code is pushed to GitHub!

Step 3: Lets go with Coding

3.1 Dockerfile:

• Open your Dockerfile in .docker folder and write this code:

• Click here to read the full explanation of the Dockerfile code.

3.2 docker-compose.yml:

• Open your docker-compose.yml file

• Click here to read the full explanation of the docker-compose code.

3.3 Start the docker:

• Open your terminal in PHPStorm or VSCode

• Run the command:

  docker-compose build
  docker-compose up -d

  After running these commands, you should see your Docker containers up and running. If everything looks good, congratulations—you've successfully created your Docker containers!

• Next, create an index.php file in your src folder and add the following simple code:

  echo "If the page is working i should see thix text on my screen!";

• Now, when you visit your localhost in your browser, you should see this message displayed on the screen.

3.4 Header && Footer:

• Open your header.php file and add this code into your file:

• Open your footer.php file and add this code into your file:

3.5 Main Page:

• Open your index.php file and write this code:

• dont forget to include your profile pic!

  Go to the SECOND PART and follow next steps:

• Click here to go to the second part .