How to set PHP executable path php.validate.executablePath in VS Code when PHP is inside docker container?

Here is a screenshot.

• Don't forget to escape \
• You don't have to add it to the Path

For linux users: if you don't have PHP installed then first download,
then in terminal type

$ whereis php

and it will show path for php executable (It will be either in /usr/bin/php or usr/local/bin/php) which you can copy from terminal.

In VScode goto settings.json file and paste

php.validate.executablePath: /usr/bin/php

In my case using XAMPP is like this

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:/xampp/php/php.exe"

Just follow what it says.

Go to File > Preferences > Settings ... it will open the settings.json file.

add the following code:

{"php.validate.executablePath": "Here you put your PHP.exe path"}

You have to know where te php.exe file is in your computer, search in the php/bin folder.

I had the same problem but found the fix here.

In Windows:

1. Go To System Properties
2. Go To Advanced Tab
3. Click "Environment Variables"
4. Select Path
5. Add a new path that points to your php 7 executable:

My case, I'm using Laragon, so you should search where is your php.exe.

By VSCode just add.

"php.executablePath": "C:\\laragon\\bin\\php\\php-7.2.19-Win32-VC15-x64\\php.exe"

on settings.json.

I've used such solution:

First, create a php file inside /usr/local/bin/ and make it executable:

sudo touch /usr/local/bin/php
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/php

Update content of it with:

docker exec $(docker ps --filter name=-app --format '{{.ID}}') php "$@"

So this will find a container with the name -app at the end. I'm using it along with the docker compose where I have php inside some container which has -app at the end of the name. You can check more about filter here.

And then update php.validate.executablePath with /usr/local/bin/php:

{
    "php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/local/bin/php"
}

VSCode Linux Users:

Step 1: In your terminal type

whereis php

In my case "php: /opt/lampp/bin/php"

Step 2:

{
  "php.validate.executablePath": "/opt/lampp/bin/php"
}

Following on from @Scofield's solution for docker, here is a solution for ddev (assuming linux/macOS/WSL):

First, as before create an executable file

sudo touch /usr/local/bin/php
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/php

Second, modify the contents of that file, inserting the following and save:

#!/bin/bash

ddev php $@

Third, add a reference to this newly created file to your settings.json as follows:

"php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/local/bin/php",

This key may already exist with an empty value, in which case, update it to match the above.

When complete the built-in PHP validation and debugging within VS Code should be possible without errors.

(Presumably in Windows the file path will have to be in the C:\\... format with double back slashes, but the concept should be the same)

Unix / Linux / Mac / WSL ,

Step 1 : Find PHP path

whereis php

Response will show you where your php directories are.

user@User:~$ whereis php

php: /usr/bin/php /usr/bin/php8.0 /usr/bin/php8.1 /usr/lib/php /etc/php /usr/share/php8.0-opcache 
/usr/share/php8.0-xml /usr/share/php8.1-curl /usr/share/php8.1-opcache /usr/share/php8.0-gd 
/usr/share/php7.0-gd /usr/share/php7.0-common /usr/share/php8.0-readline /usr/share/php8.0-mysql 
/usr/share/php8.0-zip /usr/share/php8.1-mbstring /usr/share/php8.1-xml /usr/share/php8.0-mbstring 
/usr/share/php8.0-common /usr/share/php8.0-curl /usr/share/php8.1-readline /usr/share/php8.1-common 
/usr/share/man/man1/php.1.gz

Step 2 : Configure VS-Code

Go to -> "Preference -> Settings"
Search for -> "php path"
Then click -> "Edit in settings.json"

In my case I had multiple.
So I chose the one I wanted from the available versions and my VS-Code looked like this

"php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/bin/php8.1",

Download PHP, in my case, I downloaded from here: http://windows.php.net/download/

Copy and paste the files to a location on your computer, and set the path:

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:/php/php.exe"

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:/php/php.exe" wont work due to incorect escaping

try this;

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:\\php\\php.exe"

If you get this on windows in VS code click on the blue 'open settings' button. Near the bottom of the screen this opens there's a link to enter the settings, click this to open the settings.json file. Edit the file to look like this:

{
    "php.executablePath" : "C:/php-7.4.2-nts-Win32-vc15-x64/php.exe",
    "php.validate.executablePath" : "C:/php-7.4.2-nts-Win32-vc15-x64/php.exe"
}

where C:/php-7.4.2-nts-Win32-vc15-x64 is the path to your PHP dir

I don't know if this helps but I ran into the same problem with the extension PHP Intelephense in Visual Studio Code. What I did is read the instructions so the extension could work properly. So I disabled PHP Language Features by searching "@builtin PHP" in the extensions. Also, other (3rd party) PHP extensions that provide similar functionality should also be disabled for best results. Finally, I added glob patterns for non-standard PHP file extensions to the files.associations setting. For example: "files.associations": { "*.module": "PHP" }

Doing this made the error go away. I'm new to PHP too, let me know if this is the correct way of solving this problem with PHP Intelephense.

If you're using VScode and have installed Php through MAMP, the default path should be:

C:/MAMP/bin/php/php7.4.1/php.exe

/ not \

I have ubuntu and XAMPP. The following worked for me.

Press CTRL + P Type settings.json and hit ENTER.

Add the following line in settings.json

{
...
"php.validate.executablePath": "/opt/lampp/bin/php",
...
}

Make sure to proper syntax.

I simply used double forward slashes and it worked, like so:

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:\\xampp\\php\\php.exe",

I am using Laragon and have 2 PHP versions PHP 7.4 and 8.1, so I configured my visual studio settings.json like this:

"php.validate.executablePath": [
    "D:/laragon/bin/php/php-7.4.33-Win32-vc15-x64/php.exe",
    "D:/laragon/bin/php/php-8.1.10-Win32-vs16-x64/php.exe"
],

• Go to 'Preference' -> 'Settings'
• Search for> php path
• Then click Edit in settings.json
• Then just put your directory with (DOUBLE Backslash).

Here is an example of mine:

C:\\php\\php.exe

Here is the format:

drive:\\folder_name\\php.exe

This should fix the problem.

php.validate.executablePath in laragon

In my case using laragon is like this

  "php.validate.executablePath": "C:\\laragon\\bin\\php\\php-7.4.19-Win32-vc15-x64\\php.exe"

• php-7.4.19-Win32-vc15-x64 : Note that this part of your file name may be different

I also had this error. I have installed Laragon and this addition in setting.json worked for me.

"php.executablePath":"C:/laragon/bin/php/php-7.2.19-Win32-VC15-x64/php.exe"

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:\xamp\php\php.exe" this is working for this case

For Wampserver:

Inside settings.json

"php.validate.executablePath": "C:/wamp64/bin/php/php7.4.26/php.exe"

I have tried all the suggestions, but for me, I needed to add the path of the php.exe and php.ini file to the settings of fiveserver: see attached

Basically, open settings in vs code, then go to extensions > Five Server and then look for PHP:Executable and PHP:Ini Add the path of your php.exe and php.ini (they are in the same folder), and it should be good to go.

IF using Laragon...Dont forget to change \ to /

  "php.executablePath": "C:/laragon/bin/php/php-7.4.5-Win32-vc15-x64/php.exe",

1. Go to settings.json file in Visual Studio Code.
2. Copy this code into your json file:

"php.executables": {
    "v8.1": "C:\\xampp\\php"
 }

3. Now save it...

Please remember that, the "v8.1" is the version of the php compiler.