# xdebug/xdebug

Xdebug — Step Debugger and Debugging Aid for PHP

Repository: https://github.com/xdebug/xdebug
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/xdebug
Homepage: https://xdebug.org
Language: PHP
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-21T15:06:32+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 90/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 75, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5551, "days_push": 12, "days_rel": 86, "gap_med": 54, "n_releases_24m": 12}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 3414, forks 600 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:03.568161+00:00)

## What it is
Xdebug is a PHP extension providing step debugging, profiling, tracing, code coverage, and improved error reporting for PHP applications. It integrates with IDEs over the DBGp protocol and is actively maintained with regular releases.

## Use cases
- step through PHP code in an IDE while a script executes
- profile a PHP application to find performance bottlenecks
- collect code coverage for PHPUnit test runs
- trace every function call with arguments and return values to a file
- get better var_dump output and stack traces for errors and exceptions
- debug PHP running in Docker or on a remote server from a local IDE

## When to choose
- you develop PHP and need interactive step debugging in VS Code, PhpStorm, or another DBGp-compatible IDE
- you want to profile PHP scripts and analyze Cachegrind-compatible output with tools like KCacheGrind or Webgrind
- you need code coverage collection for PHPUnit or want detailed function traces of an unfamiliar codebase
- you want richer error output, improved var_dump, and stack traces during development

## When to avoid
- you are not working with PHP
- you need a debugger for a language other than PHP or a non-DBGp debugging workflow
- you want a standalone GUI debugger without an IDE or editor integration
- you need a lightweight production profiler with minimal overhead rather than a development aid

## Facets
- artifact type: plugin
- maturity: active
- function: testing, benchmarking, developer-tools, monitoring
- domain: developer-tools, web-development, backend, testing, performance
- platform: php, windows, cross-platform
- tags: php-extension, debugger, profiler, step-debugging, dbg-protocol, code-coverage, function-tracing, var-dump, phpunit, ide-integration, cachegrind, error-reporting, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- xdebug/xdebug (main) score 90

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:03.568161+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:38:29.555937+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/xdebug/xdebug (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:03.568161+00:00, sha 5b820b594e81)
  - homepage: https://xdebug.org (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.971753+00:00, sha 5ef7a3baafd6)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/install (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.975534+00:00, sha f81094b27b67)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.979662+00:00, sha fbb2442fcd3f)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/step_debug (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.982668+00:00, sha f33f32008443)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/develop (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.986328+00:00, sha ed64aad65d4c)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/trace (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.992316+00:00, sha ecf46f58e20f)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/profiler (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.996064+00:00, sha d9e0744f4603)
  - site_page: https://xdebug.org/docs/code_coverage (fetched 2026-08-29T09:32:30.998721+00:00, sha cd1755e87c5b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.