## Chapter 3: Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) **Think of this chapter like learning to drive a car - you need to start the engine first!** **Goal:** Run PHP like a real website on your computer (localhost), so you can see how web requests and responses actually work. ### What is a Local Web Server? **Imagine your computer becomes a mini-internet just for learning!** When you run PHP normally, it's like talking to yourself. But when you use the built-in web server, it's like setting up a small restaurant where: - **Customers (browsers)** can come and order food (request pages) - **You (PHP)** cook the food (process the code) - **The food (HTML)** gets delivered to customers ### Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your First PHP Website #### Step 1: Create Your Project Folder **Think of this like building a house - you need a foundation first!** Create this folder structure: ``` my-php-app/ ← Your main project folder (like the house) public/ ← Where visitors can come (like the living room) index.php ← Your first web page (like the welcome mat) ``` **Why this structure?** The `public` folder is like your front door - only things inside can be seen by visitors! #### Step 2: Write Your First Web Page **Put this code in `public/index.php`:** ```php <?php // This is like your first conversation with the internet! echo " <h1>Welcome to My PHP Website!</h1> "; echo "<p>Current time: " . date("Y-m-d H:i:s") . "</p>"; echo "<p>This page was created by PHP running on your computer!</p>"; ``` **What's happening here?** - `<?php` says "Hey, PHP code starts here!" - `echo` is like PHP's way of talking - it sends words to the browser - `date()` gets the current time (like looking at your watch) #### Step 3: Start Your Web Server **This is like turning on the lights in your restaurant!** Open your terminal/command prompt and go to the `my-php-app` folder: ```bash # This command starts your mini-internet! php -S localhost:8000 -t public ``` **What does this mean?** - `php -S` = "Start PHP server" - `localhost:8000` = "My computer, port 8000" (like your home address) - `-t public` = "Look in the public folder" (only serve files from there) #### Step 4: Visit Your Website **Open your web browser and go to:** ``` http://localhost:8000 ``` **You should see something like:** ``` Welcome to My PHP Website! Current time: 2024-01-29 14:30:45 This page was created by PHP running on your computer! ``` **🎉 Congratulations! You just created your first PHP website!** ### Visual Diagram: How Your Local Server Works ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Your Computer │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │ │ │ Your Browser│ │ PHP Web Server │ │ │ │ │ │ (localhost:8000)│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 1. "Hey, │──────▶│ 2. "Someone wants│ │ │ │ show me │ │ index.php!" │ │ │ │ the │ │ │ │ │ │ page!" │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │◀──────│ 4. "Here's the │ │ │ │ │ │ HTML!" │ │ │ └─────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 3. "Let me run │ │ │ │ │ index.php │ │ │ │ │ and create │ │ │ │ │ HTML!" │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ ┌──────────────▼──────────────┐ │ │ │ │ public/index.php │ │ │ │ │ <?php │ │ │ │ │ echo " <h1>Hello!</h1> "; │ │ │ │ │ ?> │ │ │ │ └───────────────────────────┘ │ └─────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ### Real-Life Examples #### Example 1: Personal Blog ```php <?php // My personal blog homepage $author = "John Doe"; $posts = 5; echo " <h1>Welcome to $author's Blog!</h1> "; echo "<p>Total posts: $posts</p>"; echo "<p>Last updated: " . date("F j, Y") . "</p>"; ``` #### Example 2: Simple Calculator ```php <?php // Simple math calculator $number1 = 10; $number2 = 5; $sum = $number1 + $number2; echo " <h1>Calculator</h1> "; echo "<p>$number1 + $number2 = $sum</p>"; ``` #### Example 3: Visitor Counter ```php <?php // Count how many times page is visited $visits = file_get_contents('visits.txt') ?? 0; $visits++; file_put_contents('visits.txt', $visits); echo " <h1>Welcome!</h1> "; echo "<p>You are visitor number: $visits</p>"; ``` ### Common Mistakes & Solutions | Problem | What You See | Solution | |---------|-------------|----------| | **Wrong folder** | "404 Not Found" | Make sure you're in `my-php-app` folder when running the command | | **Wrong file location** | "File not found" | Put `index.php` inside `public` folder, not in root | | **Port already in use** | "Address already in use" | Try a different port: `php -S localhost:8080 -t public` | | **PHP not installed** | "php: command not found" | Install PHP first! | ### Practice Exercises **Try these to build your confidence:** 1. **Create a greeting page** that shows "Good Morning" or "Good Evening" based on time 2. **Make a random quote generator** that shows different quotes each time 3. **Build a simple form** that asks for your name and says hello ### Next Steps **Now that you have a working website, you can:** - Add more pages (create more `.php` files) - Learn about forms and user input - Connect to a database - Make it look pretty with CSS **Remember:** This local server is just for learning. Real websites use more powerful servers, but the concepts are exactly the same! --- --- ## Conclusion In this article, we explored the core concepts of All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server). Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for any developer looking to master this topic. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) **Q: What is All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) is a fundamental concept in this programming language/topic that allows developers to perform specific tasks efficiently. **Q: Why is All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) important?** A: It helps in organizing code, improving performance, and implementing complex logic in a structured way. **Q: How to get started with All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: You can start by practicing the basic syntax and examples provided in this tutorial. **Q: Are there any prerequisites for All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: Basic knowledge of programming logic and syntax is recommended. **Q: Can All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) be used in real-world projects?** A: Yes, it is widely used in enterprise-level applications and software development. **Q: Where can I find more examples of All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: You can check our blog section for more advanced tutorials and use cases. **Q: Is All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) suitable for beginners?** A: Yes, our guide is designed to be beginner-friendly with clear explanations. **Q: How does All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server) improve code quality?** A: By providing a standardized way to handle logic, it makes code more readable and maintainable. **Q: What are common mistakes when using All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: Common mistakes include incorrect syntax usage and not following best practices, which we've covered here. **Q: Does this tutorial cover advanced All about PHP - Run PHP as a local website (built-in server)?** A: This article covers the essentials; stay tuned for our advanced series on this topic.