2. PHP Setup

What you will learn

• What you need to run PHP on your own computer
• How to set up a practice folder with LocalWP
• How to create, run, and troubleshoot a PHP file
• Why you should never practise on a live website

What you need

PHP needs a web server with PHP installed. You do not have to set this up by hand. The easiest route for a beginner on Windows or Mac is LocalWP, a free tool that creates a ready-made local site in a few clicks. Other all-in-one packages, such as XAMPP, work too, and PHP also has a built-in test server that you can start from the command line.

You also need a code editor. Visual Studio Code is free and popular.

Method 1: LocalWP (recommended)

1. Install LocalWP from its official website and open it.
2. Click Create a new site and name it, for example php-practice. Choose the preferred setup, and let it finish.
3. Right-click the site and choose Go to site folder. Open app, then public.
4. Create a new folder here called practice.
5. Inside practice, create a file named hello.php.
6. Make sure the site shows Running.
7. In your browser, open the site address with /practice/hello.php on the end. If your site address is http://php-practice.local, open http://php-practice.local/practice/hello.php.

<?php
echo "Hello from PHP!";

If you see that sentence, PHP works. Edit the file, save it, and refresh the browser to see changes.

Method 2: PHP’s built-in server

If PHP is already installed on your computer, you can start a tiny test server from a terminal opened in your project folder:

php -S localhost:8000

Then open http://localhost:8000/hello.php. Press Ctrl+C in the terminal to stop it. This server is only for learning and testing, never for a live site.

Check your PHP version

Create version.php and open it the same way:

<?php
echo "PHP version: " . PHP_VERSION;

This course uses modern PHP (version 8). If yours is much older, change the version in LocalWP’s site settings, or install a current one. Delete version.php when you finish. Pages that show server details can help attackers if left on a public site.

Showing errors while you learn

On a local practice site, you want to see mistakes. Add these two lines at the very top of a practice file if a page is blank:

<?php
ini_set("display_errors", "1");
error_reporting(E_ALL);

Never leave error display switched on for a live website. Error messages can reveal file paths and other private details. On live sites, log errors to a file instead.

Where your files go

Good habits from day one

• Keep every exercise in its own file, with a clear name such as variables.php.
• Save the file, then refresh, after every change.
• Use lowercase file names without spaces.
• Keep a backup, or use Git, once your projects grow.

Common mistakes

• Double-clicking a .php file to open it in the browser.
• Saving files as hello.php.txt because Windows hides file extensions. Turn on File name extensions in File Explorer.
• Putting practice files outside the public folder, so the server cannot find them.
• Leaving the site stopped in LocalWP.
• Practising on a live website.

<?php
echo "My name is Sam and I am learning PHP.";

Summary

• PHP needs a server. LocalWP gives you one in minutes.
• Put practice files in the site’s public folder and open them through the site address.
• Show errors while learning, hide them on live sites, and never practise on a live website.