Inc Plugins

you can use any text editor for php no need to buy anything, Some nice ones that may make things a bit simpler on you;
http://download.cnet.com/Notepad2/3000-2351_4-10516749.html
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
Both are nice.

Now if you are looking to test on your computer you may want to look into WAMP http://www.wampserver.com/en/ this way you can just go th files around on your computer and not have to upload to a server and test.

Hi,
For scripting in PHP you need to install a server onto your PC. The following one is FREE and is called WAMP, ( Windows Apache MySql Php ), and runs in the background. This will enable you to write php files and do them on you PC.

http://www.wampserver.com/en/

Once installed you will have;

C:wamp

along with the sub folders that come with it.

Now, for development, you will see a folder called ‘www’.
This is where you place your development web site, ie you could place INDEX.PHP or INDEX.HTML etc here.
Or you could make a sub-folder with the name of your website.
It then would look like;

c:wampwwwMY_SUBFOLDERindex.php

Now, to use the server, bring up your browser, ( does’nt matter which one – IE, Firefoz, whatever…).
In the address bar type;

http//:localhost/MY_SUBFOLDER/Iindex.php

Your php code will now do as it is life run through the WAMP server, ( which is called ‘localhost’ consequently the http://localhost ).

To check that all is well just type http://localhost and you will see in the Apache insignature page.

So, to recap with an example:
I have a new site that I’m going to FULLY renovate on my PC so that I don’t need to pay a hosting company until I’m ready!

Site name is www.mystuff.com

On my PC I make a folder below c:wamp/www

mystuff

( no .com – notice! )

So now I have;

c:wampwwwmystuff

I place my pointer file in there and I call it INDEX.PHP ( or even idex.html if I am not using php or any other serverside scripts ).

So now I have;

c:wampwwwmystuffindex.php

I invoke my browser and in the addres bar I place;

http://localhost/mystuff/pointer.php

and ther ya go!

Theres lots of support for wamp on the the site, just join in.

Well I do hope this helps even if I have made it rather simplistic. You can do so much more once you have a local sever installed.

And don’t forget – ITS FREE!

Regards.

PS Get the FREE blue-collar – has a excellent tutorial – from;

http://www.php.net/download-docs.php

I would suggest the .CHM version as it runs standalone and can also be integrated into your development environment.