WAMP and PHP Development

January 3, 2006

A couple of weeks ago, I started working on a tutorial to add a forum to a site using Dreamweaver, PHP and MySQL. The tutorial pointed me to a product called WAMP, which is a package of Apache, PHP and MySQL that allows you to run a test server on your local machine. I have been hesitant to load these software packages separately because when I have investigated it in the past, it meant changing some configurations in Windows and I don’t feel comfortable doing that. I had tried another product for awhile but it did not have an updated version of PHP. WAMP has the latest so I am giving it a try. One of my goals this year is to learn how to do some more development with PHP. I was excited last week when I received a book I recently ordered, PHP for Dreamweaver 8. Now I just need to make some time in my schedule to work through it.

2 Comments

  1. Jacky Kenna

    March 3rd, 2006

    Hi

    I am not a computer expert but I publish a magazine using all the appropriate programs so I am not a complete idiot but I can not follow the following.

    These are verbatim directions from the Lynda.com.PHP.Essential.Training by Brian Maxx which follow the installation of WAMP.

    I actually use a virtual host I have this information in another note pad file and I place it at the very end of this file here
    You can specify a server name and if you have a special host then you can put that host or whole url name the domain name. 1

    The document root is important This is where is mine is going to be and if you look at the Dreamweaver videos you can see that this is my path.2
    I have an index.php file which is going to be the default there and you can actually move it to the front if it is not there. Space delaminated so you put whatever you want there. That’s really all you need there. Plus your IP address it could be one mine happens to be 114. You could just use local host it doesn’t really matter. But this is how I would set up a virtual host if you want to go to an outside directory. 2
    There are other ways to get this started but I have a lot of hosts on this machine or a lot of different folders that I am going to be working with and I need one virtual host and I have a least 20 on this machine.4

    And this all separate from other Apache installs that you nay have. So once you save that file you have to actually come down there and you don’t click it you hold the button there to get wamp server to work for you and then you go to apache and you just restart the service.

    If you have made a mistake a syntax error in your ini file 5 then it won’t load. You have to actually check some things but if you just did it in a normal way you shouldn’t get errors but you would have to research it if it didn’t start.6

    1>
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    5 >
    6 >

    I have Dreamweaver 8.
    I have windows XP
    I have made simple HTML sites.
    I use IIS as a test site.
    I use C:Inetpub
    After installing WAMP I get_
    “you are not authorised to view this page� when I hit Local host in the tray.
    “The page cannot be found� when I hit sqlitemanager or phpmyadmin in the tray.
    I can still see my html sites in IIS.

    I notice that on Brian Maxx’s screen Examples Phpmyadmin and sqlmanager are in WWW yet when I load they are one up in WAMP. Does this make a difference? I assume that the Examples are loaded later.

    Looking at the tray I see that one service is running. I do not know which one. I have clicked on start all services but it makes no difference

    I am not sure if the directions above are required if I am using IIS. Can I run Wamp and use C:Inetpub and IIS?

    I have also read that it is not advised to use Skype at the same time and I therefore assume that there must be other such programs which should be avoided. Does this mean that Skype can not be used. Some people use that as their main communication to other parts of the world.

    With great respect but I have bought Lynda.com.PHP.Essential.Training because of the reputation of the company Using WAMP has been recommended by Brian Maxx who praises the product. I have great respect for creaters of these programs and for those who work to pass on knowledge and I am sure that once this obstacle is overcome then Lynda.com.PHP.Essential.Training will be excellent bit till then I am stuck.

    I am upset at the above. I would be pleased if anyone can direct me for here.

    I would like step by step instructions.

    Jacky Kenna
    London

  2. Jeff

    March 7th, 2006

    I am not sure why you asked your question in the comments of my blog. I am not associated with WAMP. I only wrote about it on my blog. I have used it without any problems. WAMP has built in APACHE so I am not sure if you need IIS. I would encourage you to contact the WAMP developers through their website. Here is the address: http://www.wampserver.com/en/index.php