Help with web server and PHP, please

[dazedandconfused]

OK, I am ready to start figuring out PHP, and I like the way HTMLPad works, but I need some help.

I have PHP files I want to edit, but I haven't a clue yet what I'm doing.

I know in order to view them, I have to have a server and PHP installed. I've downloaded Apache and PHP, but I'm not sure how I should install them. I also have severeal domains/host I *think* I could use as a server rather than installing Apache????

I have NOT yet installed PHP, because without the server, I don't think PHP will let me see the files as I edit them?

Basically, what I'm trying to do is use HTML Pad as a WYSIWYG editor like FrontPage.

If I install/use a server and install PHP, will HTML Pad do that?

If so, can someone please help me with either configuring HTML Pad to work with one of my hosts or tell me step by step how to install APache? I DO NOT want to serve my computer to the web, but I don't mind have a server installed on it, if it is possible not to actually serve to the web. (I hope I'm making sense.)

And, then I need step by step on installing PHP (I downloaded the recommended Windows files) and configuring HTML Pad to work with it, too.

Can someone either direct me to a site with this info, or help me get a clue how to go about this?

TIA for any help.

[daveporter]

Hi D & C,

Do yourself a favour and go to Apache Friends and download XAMPP ver 1.5.1 for Windows. This will install Apache server, MySQL and PHP ( along with other useful utilities ) and once installed all you have to do is a) remember to save and locate all your files in "\program files\xampp\htdocs" ( or wherever you installed it ! ) & b) tell html Pad where the locations are for the files and where php.exe is located.

If you need more help, just post back here !

Link to Apache Friends:
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/index.html

HTH - Dave Porter,
DJ-Software, Perth, Western Australia

[dazedandconfused]

a) remember to save and locate all your files in "\program files\xampp\htdocs" ( or wherever you installed it ! ) & b) tell html Pad where the locations are for the files and where php.exe is located.

Dave, first of all, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! It's installing as I type!

Two more questions, and hopefully I'll be on my way, LOL.

In regards to a): If I am wanting to fix XXX.php, whereas the current path to it is Desktop\folder\xxx.php, do I need to move the folder into the program files\xampp\htdocs folder in order to work on it and have it show in HTMLPad?

b) I figured out how to tell HTMLPad where the server is (assuming I find the right path to the server once it's installed), but where do I tell HTMLPad where PHP.exe is? I know it asked me once, but I clicked out of it, and I'm not sure where to go back and tell it now?

Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!

[daveporter]

Hi Again,

a) Yes, essentially you are setting up your computer to be a web server for local development and the htdocs folder ( and it's sub-folders ) is where Apache is configured to store the files which are part of the server. Just save the default .php file that is created when you start a new document, make sure you save it with a .php extention and when you preview it, you should see 'Hello World'

b) I don't use Html Pad I use Webuilder. It maybe that you need Webuilder OR Rapid PHP.

If you haven't purchased yet, download one of these and try it. The location of the php.exe file is obvious in the setting once you look in it. But in Webuilder it is Options >> Preferences >> PHP Options.

regards, Dave

[dazedandconfused]

Thanks again, Dave, you are absolutely my hero, LOL!

I'm now using WeBuilder, and thank you, that's what I should have been using all along. Thankfully, I was in my trial of HTML Pad, so I'm good to go with that.

Ok, one more question, and I *think* I will have it made, LOL.

How do I create a SQL db for use with my php files on the localhost?

[daveporter]

Hi there,

( BTW: it's always nice to put a name to the person ! )

Part of the XAMPP installation is a program called phpMyAdmin.

You can use this to work with your mysql.

Just go to this page in your local browser:
http://localhost/xampp/

And there is a link to all the extra stuff on the left ( phpMyAdmin is under the tools section).
From there you should be able to log in. Read the XAMPP docs for how to add/change your password. You local login may not match your web site version, so you may need to compensate for that in your code. I keep all the settings for these things in a separate file, which I call db.php, example below:

Code: Select all

<?php

$host='localhost';   // Hostname of MySQL server
$dbUser='davemysql';      // Username for MySQL
$dbPass='mypassword';    // Password for user
$dbName='test_db';   // Database name

/*
$host='mysql.ilisys.com.au';   // Hostname of MySQL server
$dbUser='davemysql';    // Username for MySQL
$dbPass='mypassword';    // Password for user
$dbName='test_db'; // Database name
*/

?>


So the second remed out section is the web settings and the first section is the local settings

Also if you are doing a lot of PHP / MySQL develpment, consider getting PHPMaker: http://www.hkvstore.com/phpmaker/

It will save you hours developing your back-end content management pages. And is excellent value of money.

Other useful forums are the Xampp forum iteself and I've found that the Sitepoint forum for PHP is about the best. Also the sitepoint books on PHP are brilliant...
http://www.sitepoint.com/

cheers, Dave

[dazedandconfused]

Hi Dave, I'm Kitty

I feel like I'm walking blind here, LOL.

I've tried to find a class on PHP that I could take online, but I've not had much luck.

I've now progressed to creating the db, and putting it into my PHP code, but now it's saying my tables don't exist, and while I found how to add tables in the MySQL you linked me to, I haven't a clue what to put there.

What I'm doing is actually trying to modify some PHP I got from Prozilla.

This is my website that I'm working on: http://links.hits4blogs.com/

I got the actual site from Prozilla and have done some minor changes using notepad to make the changes, but for the change I'm trying to make, I can't figure out which file it's actually in. I'm pretty sure it's in index.php, and that's the one I can't get to open in WeBuilder. (It opens, I just get an error about the db table now)

On my site, where it says :
Blog Services (0 )
Blog Promotion (1): Make Money Blogging (0): Ping Services (0): RSS XML Feeds (0): Traffic Exchanges (1):

I want it to say:

Blog Services (0 )

Blog Promotion (1)
Make Money Blogging (0)
Ping Services (0)
RSS XML Feeds (0)
Traffic Exchanges (1)

I could pay someone to do it for me, I'm sure, but I figure if I learn to do it myself, then when I continue on with the rest of my site, and others I hope to do in the future, then I'd be much better off, but my problem is that I'm techniologically challenged, LOL.

Once I learn how to deal with all these issues with my server and sql and such, I think I can handle editing most of my pho issues from there, if that makes any sense. (And I know the issues aren't the fault of my server and such, it's just that I don't understand how to use it all yet)

I don't plan (at this point) to create my own PHP from scratch, I just want to tweak some scripts I've gotten from others, and I know WeBuilder is going to let me do what I want once I understand how to make all these connections, LOL.

So, my current issue is getting this error when I try to preview my index.php: Table 'links.dd_banners' doesn't exist

Now, I made the db, called it "links". I see where to add a table (in the XAMPP admin), but I'm at a loss as to what to put in there. I'm sure somewhere in the site's files, it tells me, but I don't know what I'm looking for.

[daveporter]

Hi Kitty,

I sent you a private message via these forums.

regards, Dave