by Andy Hu

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

So, you want to learn PHP by doing it the simple way? Using it? Then you'll need a server to test it on! Obviously, you can go and get some free PHP hosting, ones that either put ads to your site or require you to post. You might even find one that is perfect without ads or requirements. Anyhow, you will need to learn about FTP, and sometimes upload times become annoying. That's where creating your own PHP test environment comes in! PHP test servers can run on your own computer so you can test how your PHP files will look like, as if they are already on the Internet! This way you keep and edit your files locally!

There are several 'packages' that you can download that will simulate a PHP test server so I'll list a few.

phpdev - http://www.firepages.com.au/
Quote:
phpdev is a pre configured suite of all the bits and pieces you need to get Apache/PHP/MySQL/other running on your machine. It is not invasive and does not alter any windows settings or touch the registry etc. In its current incarnation PHP runs as an apache module.
Installing phpdev is pretty easy, and you might be able to get it working without any problems. You'll be able to edit files directly, and view them in your browser. (Other people over the Internet won't be able to see!).

xampp - http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
Quote:
Many people know from their own experience that it's not easy to install an Apache web server and it gets harder if you want to add MySQL, PHP and Perl.

XAMPP is an easy to install Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP and Perl. XAMPP is really very easy to install and to use - just download, extract and start.
XAMPP is also easy to install/use, although it's a bit different from phpdev.

There are many others, so feel free to choose them. I just listed these two as ones that are pretty widely used and popular, and because I've used them before

NOTE: From personal experience, DON'T try to install two or more of these to the same computer. I tried it (to compare them), and they both screwed up pretty badly. I can't uninstall one without deleting something else from the other... so just pick one and stay with it. I recommend XAMPP.

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