In this lesson, we'll walk you through the process of setting up your PHP development environment. A properly configured environment is crucial for efficient web development, allowing you to write, test, and debug PHP code. We'll cover the installation of a web server, PHP, and a suitable text editor or integrated development environment (IDE).

Web Server

To run PHP scripts, you need a web server that supports PHP. The most popular web server is Apache, but other options include Nginx and Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS). For the purpose of this lesson, we'll focus on Apache.

Installing a Local Web Server and PHP

To simplify the process of setting up a web server and PHP, we recommend using pre-configured software bundles like XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP. These packages include Apache, PHP, and MySQL, making it easy to get started with PHP development.

1. Choose a software bundle based on your operating system:
   • XAMPP (Windows, macOS, Linux): https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html
   • WAMP (Windows): http://www.wampserver.com/en/
   • MAMP (macOS): https://www.mamp.info/en/
2. Download the appropriate installer for your system and follow the installation instructions provided on the website.
3. After installation, start the web server and MySQL services using the control panel provided by the software bundle.
4. Test your web server by opening a web browser and navigating to http://localhost. You should see a default welcome page.

Text Editor or IDE

To write PHP code, you need a text editor or an integrated development environment (IDE). There are many options available, ranging from simple text editors like Notepad++ and Sublime Text to more advanced IDEs like PhpStorm and Visual Studio Code.

1. Choose a text editor or IDE based on your preferences and system requirements. Some popular options include:
   • Notepad++ (Windows): https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
   • Sublime Text (Windows, macOS, Linux): https://www.sublimetext.com/
   • PhpStorm (Windows, macOS, Linux): https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/
   • Visual Studio Code (Windows, macOS, Linux): https://code.visualstudio.com/
2. Download the appropriate installer for your chosen text editor or IDE and follow the installation instructions provided on the website.
3. Configure your text editor or IDE to work with PHP by installing any necessary plugins or extensions, as needed.

Actionable Work:

With your PHP development environment set up, it's time to test it by creating a simple PHP script:

1. Create a new folder called "php_projects" in your web server's document root (usually "htdocs" for XAMPP, "www" for WAMP, or "htdocs" for MAMP).
2. Using your text editor or IDE, create a new file called "index.php" inside the "php_projects" folder.
3. In "index.php", write the following PHP code:

<?php
  echo "Hello, PHP!";
?>