Trying to teach my self php and mysql need some guidence

[wthef]

Ok i love web design, but i feel the depth of the material covered in high school is not enough. I am very capable in designing web sites, in flash dreamweaver and fireworks, using java and css. However i would like to experiment with mysql and php.

What i need:
How do i install the compiler (im guessing)
How do i edit/create databases (What progam does this use or is it a note pad type thing)
Can my home pc (win xp home) be set up as a server, to test my stuff on.

I realize this is likely the wrong form and a very basic question but any help/advice/ instruction would be great.

-wthef

[rdrake]

wthef wrote:

How do i install the compiler (im guessing)

PHP does not need a compiler, it is interpreted. You need to install PHP from here. I would recommend that you install 4.4.* instead of 5.*.*.

wthef wrote:

How do i edit/create databases (What progam does this use or is it a note pad type thing)

I would suggest that you use phpmyadmin for creating/editing databases. You can easily do this at the command line, but for a beginner it's easier that way.

wthef wrote:

Can my home pc (win xp home) be set up as a server, to test my stuff on.

There's many different options here. First, you could install a small server called Abyss Web Server. Once it is installed, go to the console, help section, then read up on installing PHP. Then you will need to install the Windows binary version of MySQL from here.

Your second option which is also fairly easy is to download a package called XAMPP which installs everything needed at once. This is much better for production (heavy) use, but it also takes up a lot more RAM.

Your best bet would probably be to install Abyss Web Server, MySQL, and PHP. It'll be much smaller in both disk space and in terms of RAM used while running, plus it's a lot easier at this stage to use AWS.

And for writing the actual PHP scripts, you might wanna look into a nice free text editor called Scintilla.

If you have any more questions, just ask.

[wthef]

Thanks for the help, but im having trouble installing phpmyadmin i downloaded the 2.6.4 -pl1 The first one in the quick downloads panel as a zip
is this the correct one and if so how do i install it, if not can u post the link to the correct one?

-wthef thanks for the help[/url]

[rdrake]

You have the correct one. Now, unzip the file and rename the folder it produces to phpmyadmin. Cut and paste the folder into your htdocs folder of your webserver (probably c:\Program Files\Abyss Web Server\htdocs\ iif you installed AWS). Then go to http://127.0.0.1/phpmyadmin/ in order to access it.

[Blade]

i wrote this tut a while ago and now i dont really remember what it specifically covers in php/mysql ... take a look at it you may find some useful information

oh, and just so you know, its written for fools so theres a lot of verbal diarrhea in it

[wtd]

I would seriously suggest gaining a solid understanding of general programming skills, before delving into PHP.

PHP is a big, ugly mess of a language. I would frankly suggest you avoid it like the plague.

However, if you want to use it, go in as well prepared as you can.

[wthef]

Im still having trouble installing phpmyadmin ive included a pic of all paths and folders ect the folder phpmyadmin is unziped and is the holder of various php/css files of the program (when i dled it and unzipped it it created a folder inside it self of the same names ie c/abyss web sever/htdocs/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin/{here is contents} is the second folder needed? im most likly making a bone headed error but if some one could point it out that would be great:)

-wthef

ps

Quote:

I would seriously suggest gaining a solid understanding of general programming skills, before delving into PHP.

Im am very capable using java,actionscript and turing [turing counts right ]

[wthef]

Im still having trouble installing phpmyadmin ive included a pic of all paths and folders ect the folder phpmyadmin is unziped and is the holder of various php/css files of the program (when i dled it and unzipped it it created a folder inside it self of the same names ie c/abyss web sever/htdocs/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin/{here is contents} is the second folder needed? im most likly making a bone headed error but if some one could point it out that would be great:)

-wthef

ps

Quote:

I would seriously suggest gaining a solid understanding of general programming skills, before delving into PHP.

Im am very capable using java,actionscript and turing [turing counts right ]

[wtd]

wthef wrote:

Quote:

I would seriously suggest gaining a solid understanding of general programming skills, before delving into PHP.

Im am very capable using java,actionscript and turing [turing counts right ]

Being capable of using them doesn't necessarily mean you have a grasp on how to use them well. You should have seen some of my early Perl code, for instance. Or rather, you shouldn't. No one should ever see that code.

For instance, I suspect you mean "Javascript" when you say "Java". If this is the case, then not knowing the difference means you are (and this is not meant as an insult) pretty high on the newbometer. We've all been there. We all have to work past that stage.

[abdul]

The best thing to do inorder to setup a server at your house is to download and install EasyPHP.

It's French, but there is an English patch.