📚 Tuition Class Management System

SQL Server Edition — Setup Guide for Beginners

This guide will walk you through every step needed to set up and run this PHP web application on your computer using XAMPP and Microsoft SQL Server (SSMS). Follow each step carefully and in order.

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🧰 What You Will Need (Prerequisites)

Before you start, make sure you have these installed on your computer:

Software	What it does
XAMPP	Runs PHP and Apache on your local computer
SQL Server Express	The database engine (comes with SSMS)
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)	The tool you use to manage your database

⚠️ Important: XAMPP does not support SQL Server by default. You need to install extra drivers (called PHP SQLSRV Drivers) before anything will work. The steps below will guide you through this.

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🔧 Part 1 — Install the Required Drivers

Step 1: Install the Microsoft ODBC Driver

The ODBC Driver allows PHP to "talk" to SQL Server.

1. Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft website.
2. Search for "Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server download".
3. Download the x64 version (this is for 64-bit Windows, which most computers use today).
4. Run the downloaded .msi installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

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Step 2: Find Out Your PHP Version

You need to know your PHP version so you can download the correct driver.

1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.

2. Click the "phpinfo" button at the top right of the control panel.

   If you don't see this button, open your browser and go to: http://localhost/dashboard/phpinfo.php

3. A page will open. Look near the top for a line that says something like:

   PHP Version 8.2.x  or  PHP Version 8.3.x
   

4. Write down your PHP version number (e.g., 8.2). You will need it in the next step.

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Step 3: Download the PHP SQLSRV Driver Files

1. Go to the Microsoft website and search for "Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server download".

2. On the download page, find the version that matches your PHP version (e.g., if your PHP is 8.2, download the driver for PHP 8.2).

3. Download the .zip file and extract/unzip it to a folder on your Desktop.

4. Inside the extracted folder, you will see many .dll files. You need to find exactly these two files:

   php_sqlsrv_XX_ts_x64.dll
   php_pdo_sqlsrv_XX_ts_x64.dll
   

   📝 Note: Replace XX with your PHP version digits. For example, if your PHP is 8.2, the files will be named php_sqlsrv_82_ts_x64.dll and php_pdo_sqlsrv_82_ts_x64.dll.

   ✅ Make sure you pick the files with _ts_x64 in the name. The ts means "Thread Safe" and x64 means 64-bit. These are the correct ones for XAMPP.

5. Copy both .dll files.

6. Paste them into this folder on your computer:

   C:\xampp\php\ext\
   

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Step 4: Enable the Drivers in XAMPP (Editing php.ini)

Now you need to tell XAMPP to actually use the drivers you just installed.

1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.

2. Find Apache in the list and click the "Config" button next to it.

3. A small menu will appear. Click on "PHP (php.ini)". This will open a text file in Notepad.

4. Press Ctrl + F to open the search box and search for the word:

   extension=
   

5. Scroll to find the section that lists other extensions. Add these two new lines at the end of that section:

   extension=php_sqlsrv_XX_ts_x64.dll
   extension=php_pdo_sqlsrv_XX_ts_x64.dll
   

   📝 Remember: Replace XX with your actual PHP version digits (e.g., 82 for PHP 8.2).

   Example (if your PHP version is 8.2):

   extension=php_sqlsrv_82_ts_x64.dll
   extension=php_pdo_sqlsrv_82_ts_x64.dll
   

6. Press Ctrl + S to save the file, then close Notepad.

7. Go back to the XAMPP Control Panel and click "Stop" then "Start" next to Apache to restart it.

✅ The drivers are now installed and enabled!

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📁 Part 2 — Set Up the Project Files

Step 5: Move the Project Folder to htdocs

The htdocs folder is where XAMPP looks for websites on your computer.

1. Find the project folder named tutionManagementSystem (this was given to you).
2. Move or copy the entire folder to:

   C:\xampp\htdocs\
   

3. After this step, the path should look like:

   C:\xampp\htdocs\tutionManagementSystem\
   

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Step 6: Find Your SQL Server Name

You need your computer's SQL Server name to connect the project to your database.

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. When it opens, a "Connect to Server" login box will appear immediately.
3. Look at the "Server name:" field at the top of that box.
4. It will show something like one of these examples:
   • LAPTOP-XXXXX\SQLEXPRESS
   • DESKTOP-XXXXX\SQLEXPRESS
   • localhost\SQLEXPRESS
   • localhost
5. Write down or copy whatever is shown there — this is your Server Name.

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Step 7: Configure the Database Connection (db.php)

Now you will tell the project how to connect to your SQL Server.

1. Open the project folder at C:\xampp\htdocs\tutionManagementSystem\.

2. Find the file named db.php and open it with Notepad (right-click → Open with → Notepad).

3. You will see this code:

   <?php
   $serverName = "YOUR_COMPUTER_NAME\SQLEXPRESS";
   $connectionInfo = array(
       "Database" => "tution_db",
       "UID" => "",
       "PWD" => ""
   );
   
   $conn = sqlsrv_connect($serverName, $connectionInfo);
   
   if ($conn === false) {
       die(print_r(sqlsrv_errors(), true));
   }
   ?>

4. Replace YOUR_COMPUTER_NAME\SQLEXPRESS with the Server Name you found in Step 6.

   Example: If your server name is LAPTOP-ABC123\SQLEXPRESS, the line should look like:

   $serverName = "LAPTOP-ABC123\SQLEXPRESS";

5. The UID and PWD fields can stay empty if you are using Windows Authentication (which is the default for most local setups).

6. Save the file (Ctrl + S) and close Notepad.

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🗄️ Part 3 — Set Up the Database in SSMS

Step 8: Create a New Database

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to your server.
2. On the left side, you will see a panel called "Object Explorer".
3. Right-click on "Databases" and select "New Database...".
4. In the box that appears, type the database name exactly as it is written in your db.php file:

   tution_db
   

5. Click OK. You will now see tution_db appear in the Databases list.

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Step 9: Run the SQL Script to Create the Tables

The project comes with a .sql script file that automatically creates all the required tables.

1. Open your project folder at C:\xampp\htdocs\tutionManagementSystem\.
2. Find the file ending in .sql (it may be named something like tution_db.sql or database.sql).
3. Open it with Notepad and select all the text (Ctrl + A), then copy it (Ctrl + C).
4. Go back to SSMS. Click on "New Query" button at the top.
5. Make sure the dropdown at the top shows tution_db as the selected database.
6. Paste the copied SQL code into the query window (Ctrl + V).
7. Click the "Execute" button (or press F5).
8. You should see a message saying "Command(s) completed successfully" at the bottom.

✅ All the tables are now created in your database!

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▶️ Part 4 — Run the Application

Step 10: Start Apache in XAMPP

1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
2. Click "Start" next to Apache.
3. The status should turn green.

🛑 You do NOT need to start MySQL — this project uses SQL Server (SSMS), not MySQL.

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Step 11: Open the Application in Your Browser

1. Open any web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.).
2. In the address bar, type:

   http://localhost/tutionManagementSystem/
   

3. Press Enter.

🎉 The Tuition Class Management System should now load and be ready to use!

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❓ Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem	What to check
Page shows a blank screen or PHP errors	Make sure Apache is started in XAMPP
"Could not connect to SQL Server" error	Double-check your Server Name in db.php (Step 7)
PHP errors about sqlsrv not found	Make sure the .dll files are in C:\xampp\php\ext\ and the lines are added to php.ini (Steps 3–4)
Tables don't exist error	Make sure you ran the .sql script in SSMS (Step 9)
Apache won't start	Another program may be using Port 80. Try changing the Apache port in XAMPP Config.

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📌 Quick Summary Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you have done everything:

• Installed Microsoft ODBC Driver (Step 1)
• Checked PHP version in XAMPP (Step 2)
• Downloaded and copied the two .dll driver files to C:\xampp\php\ext\ (Step 3)
• Added the two extension= lines to php.ini and restarted Apache (Step 4)
• Moved the project folder to C:\xampp\htdocs\ (Step 5)
• Found your SQL Server Name from SSMS (Step 6)
• Updated db.php with your Server Name (Step 7)
• Created the tution_db database in SSMS (Step 8)
• Ran the .sql script to create all the tables (Step 9)
• Started Apache in XAMPP (Step 10)
• Opened http://localhost/tutionManagementSystem/ in your browser (Step 11)

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