Requirements
All you need is a working system! Since PHP supports wide variety of operating systems, it should not be a problem to find the right PHP version for your operating system. For web based PHP applications, you will need some or all of the following:-
- A Web Server (for serving pages off a web site)
- PHP (the PHP core)
- A Database Server (Plenty of databases are supported)
- A text editor to edit PHP files (This will ease your development but optional)
Your options
You can either choose to download all the above three components and install them individually or you can download pre-configured packaged applications which will install Apache, MySQL and PHP as a single component. Some of the popular applications are EasyPHP, XAMPP and WAMP.
If you do not have prior installation experience of Apache, PHP and MySQL, we recommend that you start by installing any of the above packaged applications for a quick start. The installation notes are available on their respective web sites.
However, if you choose to install Apache, MySQL and PHP manually, then follow these links to download and configure these applications.
Apache
Apache is available as a free download from Apache web site. We recommend you download a stable release for your operating system. For Windows OS, download MSI installer which is quick to install.
PHP
PHP is available as a free download from PHP web site. You should look for stable release for your OS.
MySQL
MySQL database is available for download at MySQL web site and you are looking for a stable release for this as well.
PHP Text Editor
A google search for PHP editors will produce many results and depending on your choice, you can either opt for a free or a commercial editor. I personally recommend PSPad for its ease of use and functionality.
Once your development environment is ready, proceed to "PHP for beginners" section to start the coding. Goodluck!