If you have had any encounter with a WordPress theme, WordPress plugins etc the first thing you would require is, knowledge of PHP. I think PHP is one of those languages that everyone aspiring to have (or already having) a web presence should learn. Here is how you can install(its a bit tricky) and start learning PHP.
Installation:
All steps given below are for Windows XP SP2
- PHP is a server side scripting language. To work on this language, you need to have a web server running successfully on your local machine. Though PHP goes well with many web servers, for our learning sake we will install Apache on Windows XP.
- Go To http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi
- Download the latest version of Win32 Binary without crypto (no mod_ssl) (MSI Installer) [As of writing this post Apache HTTP Server 2.2.9 is the best available version]
- Now follow each and every instruction carefully at this link http://www.buzzle.com/articles/109196.html
- By now, Apache must be up and running successfully.
- Now we will install PHP. Go To http://www.php.net/downloads.php
- Under Windows Binaries, download the PHP 5.2.6 zip package[Current as of writing this post]
- Again, follow the instructions religiously given at this link http://www.buzzle.com/articles/109200.html
- Now, if after following all the steps given at link of pt 8 above, you encounter an error such as "httpd: Syntax error on line 486 of C:/server/Apache2.2/conf/httpd.conf: Cannot load C:/server/PHP/php5apache2.dll into server: The specified module could not be found", go to pt 10 in that file change the first line from c:/server/PHP/php5apache2.dll" to c:/server/PHP/php5apache2_2.dll" Hopefully that should solve the problem.
- Test if PHP is working as given in pt 16 of link above.
Learning PHP
Now that’s simple. Go through this link. It is a very easy step by step guide for anyone wanting to learn PHP. Though the articles on this link were written way back in 2004, I find that nothing has changed till now.
Do comment about your experience of learning PHP.
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