Requirements to install PHP

PHP supports wide variety of operating systems and 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:-

  1. A Web Server for serving pages off a web site. You can execute PHP from command line but you won't do that when developing websites, so a web server such as Apache is needed to get started.
  2. PHP (the PHP core)
  3. A database server if you will work with databases. PHP supports plenty of database.
  4. A text editor to edit PHP files

Downloading and installing PHP - Different ways

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 Web Server

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.

MySQL Database

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!