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View Full Version : Learning PHP...a few questions

kalew
30-08-2002, 19:03/07:03PM
I have been reading a bit about PHP and it sounds like a language I can really sink my teeth into. However, I am a bit on the dumb side where the technical "stuff" is involved. I can handle the actual language (well, so far anyway...), but I really don't understand the reason for having a web server - such as Apache - installed on my computer (as I have read in the online manuals). If I go with PHP in my web site, wouldn't my host have the appropriate server to "serve" up the PHP (provided they have the equipment)? Or is having a web server on my computer basically to test the PHP ? I'm just not sure...
crifer
30-08-2002, 21:49/09:49PM
Yep, it's for testing. The best thing is to have an "exact" copy of your hostserver on your computer so when you upload your site you don't have to test to see if everything is going to work.

But look out when it comes to the newer versions of php. The development is fast so if you install the newest version and the hostserver have an old one you can have some trouble. At least if you use the new way of extracting variables from forms, sessions and so on...
martekbiz
28-11-2002, 10:53/10:53AM
My advise...

My firm does ALOT of work on PHP and MySQL.

I beleive it to be the best programming language around and the development community is just as good.

The language will become better and the development platforms (MySQL and Apache) for which PHP works best on/under will continue to improve as well.

Having said that... it would be my suggestion that whatever your Hosting provider has in the way of PHP/Web Server/OS/DB Server that you try to mimic that in your own testing (off line) environment.

You do not NEED a *Nix type platform to install PHP/Web Server or MySQL for basic operations.. if you get to complicated with the programming aspect you could run into small difficulties (obviously).

Having said that... I have PHP 4.2/Apache 1.3 and MySQL 3.2.2 (I beleive) currently running on my laptop. I use this development for some QA testing when on the road but mostly I use it as a presentation platform to demonstrate various applications we have built to potential clients.

Any more Q's just post away :)

Aaron