Setting up a PHP test environment

[Zeggy]

Creating a PHP test server
By Zeggy (webmaster@zegghq.com)
Copyright (c) 2006, ZeggHQ


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! 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.



Here are some reactions of my members at my forum:

"Xampp is safer, it is a "closed" enviroment so people can't load your stuff from your ip (and hack)..."

"There is also easyphp - http://www.easyphp.org/

"I never used any of the install everything for you programs myself. I learned to setup all the pieces and get them working. Sometimes that can be a real pain though."

"WAMP is best
1. It's easy to use
2. Installing is done with double clicking
3. Because I said so
4. see 3."

"wamp has **** faced security though..."

[codestryke]

I setup my own too when I stated...

I then had to rebuild one of my computers and tried EasyPHP, been using it ever since.. It's pretty nice, there are things I would like changed but it really is, click, answer questions and wha-la you have PHP, MySQL and phpMyAdmin installed in less then 10 minutes.

[dvd871]

Same here.  For at least the first year I was learning php I setup all the components individually and it was a pain.  Then I asked myself why?  Its not going to be a production server!  Its only to test your coding on, so why not just use something like easyphp.  It took minutes to setup and its been working fine now for the last few years.

[Mgccl]

I never build my own... always used XAMPP
why do I build my own... it's used to test... not a production server....