How to Configure Your Terminal to Use MAMP's Edit PHP INI

When you're working with MAMP, it's essential to configure your terminal to use its PHP binaries and php.ini file. This allows you to quickly switch between PHP versions and have a centralized configuration for all your projects.

To start, make sure that your terminal is set up to use MAMP's PHP binaries. Once you've done this, you'll need to delete the auto-generated php.ini file located at `/Applications/MAMP/bin/php/php7.3.21/conf`. You can find the final generated php.ini file in `/Library/Application Support/appsolute/MAMP PRO/conf/php.ini`.

One unique feature of MAMP Pro is that it generates a new php.ini file every time it starts, based on the settings you configure in its UI. This means that if you enable or disable Xdebug, for example, MAMP will regenerate the php.ini file with your updated configuration.

Configuring Your Command-Line to Use MAMP's PHP INI

To check that everything is set up correctly, open a new terminal window and execute `php -ini`. This should display the paths pointing to MAMP's PHP binaries. If you've made any changes to your profile, don't forget to reload it by executing `source ~/.bash_profile` (or whatever file you're using).

In my case, I'm using Oh My Zsh, so I need to use `~/.zshrc`. If you're using the default Terminal that comes with macOS, your profile file will likely be either `~/.bash_profile` or `~/.bashrc`.

Adding Multiple PHP Versions

I've added multiple lines to my profile file to make it easy to switch between different PHP versions. Each line adds a PHP version to the PATH variable, like this: `export PATH=/Applications/MAMP/bin/php/php7.4.9/bin:$PATH`. I've commented out all but one of these lines using the `#` symbol, so that only the desired PHP version is active.

Every time you switch PHP versions in MAMP, make sure to come back and uncomment the corresponding line in your profile file, so that it matches the current PHP version.

By following these steps, you'll be able to configure your terminal to use MAMP's edit PHP INI and take advantage of its powerful features. With this setup, you can quickly switch between different PHP versions and have a centralized configuration for all your projects.

Mamp edit php ini