How to use the command var-dump-server (with examples)
The var-dump-server command is a Symfony dump server that collects data dumped by the Symfony VarDumper component. It is a useful tool for debugging and inspecting variables and data structures in Symfony applications.
Use case 1: Start the server
Code:
var-dump-server
Motivation: Use this command to start the dump server and collect data dumped by the VarDumper component in your Symfony application. Starting the server allows you to inspect the dumped data using a client like the Symfony web debug toolbar.
Explanation: This command starts the dump server on the default host and port, which is tcp://127.0.0.1:9912. The server will listen for dumped data from your Symfony application.
Example output:
Dump server listening on tcp://127.0.0.1:9912
Use case 2: Dump the data in an HTML file
Code:
var-dump-server --format=html > path/to/file.html
Motivation: You may want to save the dumped data in an HTML file for later inspection or sharing with other developers. This is especially useful when working in a team and you need to share debugging information.
Explanation: This command starts the dump server and redirects the output to an HTML file specified by the path/to/file.html. The dumped data will be formatted as HTML, making it easy to read and navigate.
Example output:
The dumped data is saved in the specified HTML file.
Use case 3: Make the server listen on a specific address and port
Code:
var-dump-server --host 127.0.0.1:9912
Motivation: In some cases, you may want to specify a different host and port for the dump server. For example, if the default host and port are already in use, you can specify a different address to start the server.
Explanation: This command starts the dump server and specifies the host and port using the --host argument. The value 127.0.0.1:9912 indicates that the server should listen on the IP address 127.0.0.1 (localhost) and port 9912.
Example output:
Dump server listening on tcp://127.0.0.1:9912
Conclusion:
The var-dump-server command is a powerful tool for debugging and inspecting variables and data structures in Symfony applications. With the ability to start the server, dump data in HTML files, and specify a different host and port, you have full control over how you collect and inspect dumped data.
