# Deployment Instructions

This README outlines the steps required to deploy a Laravel project to shared hosting.

## 1. Edit .env File

1. Open the .env file in your project's root directory.

2. Modify the following variables:

   DB_CONNECTION=mysql
   APP_NAME=appname
   APP_ENV=production
   APP_KEY=base64key (replace with your actual base64 key)
   APP_DEBUG=false
   APP_URL=https://domain.com (replace with your domain)
   DB_HOST=localhost
   DB_PORT=3306
   DB_DATABASE=dbname
   DB_USERNAME=dbuser
   DB_PASSWORD=dbuserpass
   

## 2. Run Artisan Commands

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

2. Navigate to your project's root directory.

3. Run the following commands:

   php artisan key:generate
   php artisan config:cache
   php artisan config:clear
   php artisan route:cache
   php artisan serve

## 3. Create Zip File

1. Compress your entire project folder, including subfolders and files, into a zip archive.
2. Export your database as an .sql file.

## 4. Upload Files to Hosting

1. Access your shared hosting control panel (cPanel or DirectAdmin).
2. Upload both the zip file and the .sql file to your hosting account.

## 5. Check PHP Version

1. Ensure that the PHP version on your hosting server matches the PHP version used in your local development environment.

## 6. Move index.php

1. Move the index.php file from the public folder to the project's root directory.

## 7. Modify index.php

1. Open the index.php file in the project's root directory.

2. Remove the /.. from the following lines:

   require __DIR__.'/../vendor/autoload.php';
   $app = require_once __DIR__.'/../bootstrap/app.php';

## 8. Move .htaccess

1. Move the .htaccess file from the public folder to the project's root directory.

## 9. Update Domain (if necessary)

1. If you changed the domain in step 1, update the domain in the .htaccess file as well.

## 10. Remove "/public" in Views

1. In your Blade templates, remove any references to /public in paths to assets (e.g., images, CSS, JavaScript).

## Additional Notes

• Specific instructions may vary slightly depending on your hosting provider's control panel.
• If you encounter issues, consult your hosting provider's documentation or support.