PHP Programming – How to do it on your desktop
One of the main problems for newcomers to PHP programming is that PHP is a server-oriented program. This means that all PHP scripts must be uploaded to the server before they can be tested. This can be a major inconvenience for the new PHP programmer who is reluctant to compromise their website by running incomplete scripts.
One way around this is to use Wampserver, an open source Windows web development environment. Wampserver allows you to replicate your server environment on your own desktop, thus eliminating the hassle of having to upload your scripts to your website for testing.
Wampserver allows you to use Apache, PHP and MySql database. To implement the latter, it also comes with PHPMyAdmin, which allows you to easily manage your databases.
That means you don’t need to download Apache, MySql and PHP separately.
So first go to the Wampserver website and download the latest version of Wampserver and install it. Installing Wampserver is very simple; most of the time you don’t even have to change the default installation options. There is a possible problem that Skype users may have, Wampserver tries to use the same port as Skype, this can be seen when the icon is not completely white. So quit Skype while installing Wampserver and then reload Skype which will now choose another port. Once Wampserver is installed, you can start it from the start menu or from the desktop icon (if you choose to create one). You can see the Wampserver icon in the system notification area. The color of the icon shows its status (online/offline). Clicking on this icon opens a menu:
Localhost phpMyAdmin SQLiteManager www directory Apache PHP MySQL
Start all services Stop all services Restart all services
This allows you to manage Wampserver and access all services. When you install Wampserver, all the files are copied to the directory of your choice. The configuration files are then modified to point to that directory.
A directory folder titled wamp is created with a www folder inside. This will be the root of your document. It is in the www folder where all your projects will be stored.
As you can see in the menu, you can easily see your www directory from the menu
With Wampserver, you will now be able to reproduce your production environment on your personal computer. This now allows you to run and test your PHP scripts, create databases, and test adding, modifying, and deleting records in the privacy of your own PC.
More information can be found on the Wampserver website