PHP

[Dakota]

I just started playing with PHP so forgive me if it's a dumb question. Since I use dialup, I want to try my web pages on machine before I upload to my site. Is there something I can download to allow my machine to mimic the results of the web server?

 

Roy

[TCH-Rob]

You can try the instructions here, www.thesitewizard.com/archive/php4install.shtml I do not run it personally on my local machine but others here do so they may have some suggestions as well.

[TCH-Dick]

Take a look here http://abyss.sourceforge.net/

 

That will set you up with a local web server with php, mysql, apache etc.

[sabershooter]

I started out with Abyss because it was free. It's kind of slow and the more complex my PHP scripts became the more likely it was to crap out on me.

// but then again, it could have been the sloppy code writing of a beginner

 

If your using Windoze at home you may consider WindowsXP Professional which comes equipped with the IIS server. You'd have to download and configure the latest version of PHP:

PHP.NET

and to unlock the real power of PHP:

MySQL

 

The WROX PHP Beginners book I had then had the instructions on setting up both with the IIS server. I'm not sure of a web based alternative that makes it as easy as the book I had.

 

I have used my Windows box to create and test my PHP applications, and there was no noticeable difference in how they performed once uploaded the TCH servers.

Frankly, I think running a server locally is imperative if you're going to go much farther than simple scripts.

[Singer]

I recommend setting yourself up so you are as compatible as possible with TCH. This will give likely you the fewest problems when you move your code over from your machine to your web hosting account.

 

My Windows 2000 PC is set up with

• Apache 1.3.28 (I'm off by one, since my TCH server is at 1.3.29 now)
  
• PHP 4.3.2 (TCH at 4.3.3)
  
• MySQL 4.0.14a (TCH at 4.0.15-standard)
  
• phpMyAdmin
  

I had initially tried IIS and, later, Apache 2.x, but found that there were some slight differences between how they served web pages and how Apache at TCH served web pages, so I decided to stick with what TCH is using. This way, I my environment is very close to TCH and I rarely run into differences when I move my code over to TCH.

 

(Looks like I have some updating to do... )