PHP Tutorials - Create PHP Environment (Basics)

How to create PHP environment

Before we move ahead we remember you one thing that is in previous chapter it was mentioned that learning PHP is no more expensive. It is open source server side scripting language and available at no coast.

Warning! Please do not install without any assistant if you are not familiar with PHP installation and configuration. Please read this chapter completely at the end we put the best solution for you.

There are three main areas where you can use PHP

1. Websites and web applications (server-side scripting)
2. Command line scripting
3. Desktop (GUI) applications

For now we will go through Websites and web applications (server-side scripting). PHP is most flexible scripting language ever built which support all servers these days like IIS Apache etc. Like mentioned in previous chapter it runs on various platforms like Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, etc.

PHP Configuration and Installation

With below mentioned step you can set up PHP on your PC

1. Install a web server like Apache
2. Install PHP like version 5.5 or 5.6 (Latest 7.0)
3. Install a Database like MySQL.

PHP different version requires different version Visual C Runtime. Before we install please look at the below table

PHP Version	Visual C Run Time Version	Download Link
PHP 5.5	C Run Time Ver. 11	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30679
PHP 5.6	C Run Time Ver. 11	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30679
PHP 7.0	C Run Time Ver. 14	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145

Below are link where you can download the above there software.

Program	Version	Download Link
PHP for Windows	5.6 to 7.2	http://windows.php.net/download#php-7.2
Apache Web server	2.4.29	http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi
MySQL	5.7.20	https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/

Best Alternatives

Above software might lead you to do something wrong on your PC and the web server settings can produce some upsetting result. For best alternative here we can go through the web hosting or PHP ready package which can be easily set up and executed.

Web hosting

Signing up a PHP web hosting is great choice. Most popular companies like godaddy, bluehost, hostgator are providing the web host with domains where you can code and publish online and your work can be seen whole world 24X7. But this is little expensive.

Local hosting with XAMPP

XAMPP is very powerful ready to use package for PHP developers. In simple step you can download, install and activate the server and database with couple of click and you can start scripting. You can download XAMPP by click on the link https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html