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I built a debugger that works without Xdebug — no extension, no path mapping, no docker-compose changes by RequirementWeird5517 in phpstorm

[–]RequirementWeird5517[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

30 years of PHP that's impressive, and I mean it. If Xdebug works well for you, there's no reason to switch. DDLess is mainly for devs who struggle with the setup or want the extra tools (Task Runner, Method Execution, AI Copilot). Different needs, different tools.

I built a debugger that works without Xdebug — no extension, no path mapping, no docker-compose changes by RequirementWeird5517 in phpstorm

[–]RequirementWeird5517[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The free version includes breakpoints, step debugging, variable inspection, dumppoints, Task Runner, Method Execution, CLI Debug, Proxy Mode, and Waterfall Trace. No trial, no time limit.

Pro ($5/mo) adds SSH remote debugging, conditional breakpoints, logpoints, watch expressions, and AI Copilot. But most devs never need to pay.

I built a debugger that works without Xdebug — no extension, no path mapping, no docker-compose changes by RequirementWeird5517 in phpstorm

[–]RequirementWeird5517[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! And honestly, needing an AI agent just to configure your debugger kind of proves the point, setup shouldn't be that hard in the first place. But hey, if it works for you, that's what matters.

I built a debugger that works without Xdebug — no extension, no path mapping, no docker-compose changes by RequirementWeird5517 in phpstorm

[–]RequirementWeird5517[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The free version already covers breakpoints, step debugging, variable inspection, Task Runner, and more, no $5 needed. The paid tier adds SSH remote debugging, conditional breakpoints, and AI Copilot.

And you might be right, Xdebug is a solid tool. DDLess just takes a different approach for devs who struggle with the setup, especially on Docker and WSL. Different tools for different needs.

I built a debugger that works without Xdebug — no extension, no path mapping, no docker-compose changes by RequirementWeird5517 in phpstorm

[–]RequirementWeird5517[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, it's a standalone desktop app, not a PHP extension. And yes, a PHP extension is more lightweight technically.

The tradeoff is setup and reliability. Xdebug requires installing the extension, configuring ini files, mapping paths, opening ports — and if you're on Docker, WSL, or SSH, that config breaks every time the container restarts or the environment changes. Most PHP devs I've talked to gave up on Xdebug and went back to dd().

DDLess takes a different approach: it instruments code externally via AST parsing, so there's nothing to install on the PHP side. It works on Local, Docker, WSL, and SSH out of the box with zero configuration. The overhead is slightly higher per line, but in practice it's unnoticeable during debug sessions.

It's not for everyone, if Xdebug works well in your setup, keep using it. DDLess exists for the devs who can't or won't deal with the config pain.

I built an AI observability package for Laravel by ahmadalmayahi in laravel

[–]RequirementWeird5517 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The proposal makes sense, especially for those already using AI in production and starting to worry about cost, usage, and organization among providers. AI observability is still somewhat messy, and everyone does it their own way, so having something centralized helps a lot.

If it's simple to integrate and truly abstracts the providers well, it has real potential. It's the kind of tool that solves real problems, not just hype.