===================================== MindQuest

Welcome to MindQuest! This guide will help you set up the SQL database and install the PHP project on your local machine using XAMPP.

---

1. INSTALL XAMPP

---

If you haven’t installed XAMPP, download it from: https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

---

2. CLONE THE REPOSITORY

---

Clone the project repository from GitHub to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/MindQuest.git

---

3. CREATE THE DATABASE

---

1. Start XAMPP: Open the XAMPP Control Panel and start the Apache and MySQL modules.
2. Open phpMyAdmin: In your browser, go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/
3. Create a New Database:
   • Click on the "Databases" tab.
   • In the "Create database" field, enter the database name: forum
   • Click "Create".

---

4. IMPORT THE SQL FILE

---

1. Navigate to the Import Section:
   • In phpMyAdmin, select the forum database you just created.
   • Click on the "Import" tab.
2. Import the SQL File:
   • Click "Choose File" and select the SQL file located at MindQuest\dataBase\forum.sql.
   • Click "Go" to import the database structure and data.

---

5. SET UP THE PHP PROJECT

---

1. Move the Project Files:

   • After cloning the repository, move the project files to the htdocs directory of XAMPP.
   • The path should be something like: C:\xampp\htdocs\MindQuest.

2. Configure the Database Connection:

   • Open the project folder and locate the C:\xampp\htdocs\MindQuest\particles\connect.php.
   • Update the database configuration settings: // Example configuration $servername = "localhost"; $username = "root"; $password = ""; // default is empty for XAMPP $dbname = "forum";

3. Test the Project:

   • In your browser, navigate to http://localhost/MindQuest.
   • The project should now be running with the database connected.

---

6. ADDITIONAL NOTES

---

• Default Credentials: If your project has user authentication, provide default admin or user credentials.
• Troubleshooting: Common issues can include database connection errors or missing extensions. Make sure to enable necessary PHP extensions in the php.ini file if required.

---

7. CONTRIBUTING

---

Feel free to fork the repository and make improvements. Pull requests are welcome.

========================================