# Starting a Project

Once [DDEV is installed](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/install/ddev-installation/index.md>), setting up a new project should be quick:

1. Clone or create the code for your project.
2. `cd` into the project directory and run [`ddev config`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#config>) to initialize a DDEV project.
3. Run [`ddev start`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#start>) to spin up the project.
4. Run [`ddev launch`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#launch>) to open your project in a browser.

You can also type `ddev` to manage your projects from an [interactive dashboard](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/cli/#interactive-dashboard>).

DDEV can automatically detect your project type and docroot. If it guessed wrong or there’s something else you want to change, use the [`ddev config`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#config>) command or update [project options](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/configuration/config/index.md>) by editing `.ddev/config.yaml`. You can see the result by running [`ddev describe`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#describe>).

> [!TIP]
>
> **What is the `php` project type?**
>
> A `php` project type is the most general, ready for whatever modern PHP or static HTML/JS project you might be working on. It’s as full-featured as other [CMS-specific options](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/quickstart/index.md>), without any assumptions about your configuration or presets. (You can use this with a CMS or framework fine!)

If you need to configure your app to connect to the database, the hostname, username, password, and database name are all `db`.

While you’re getting your bearings, use [`ddev describe`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#describe>) to get project details, and [`ddev help`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#help>) to investigate commands.

Next, you may want to run [`ddev composer install`](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#composer>), [import a database](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#import-db>), or [load user-managed files](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/commands/#import-files>).

If you’re new to DDEV, check out [Using the `ddev` Command](<https://ddev.github.io/ddev/en/stable/users/usage/cli/index.md>) for an overview of what’s available.