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before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:53 am
by boogie
So this is a question about the use of PHP. I'm a complete newbie, I have HTML/Javascript skills but no PHP background at all.

I have webspace available to me from my ISP. It appears not to support PHP. (I checked this by creating a file called test.php which only contained <?php phpinfo() ?> which I uploaded to my space. When I run it, it does not return the hoped-for info but simply displayed the code back to me in my browser - so I assume PHP is not supported).

Is it possible for me to place a PHP runtime environment in my webspace to support scripts to handle form data in my webpages?

Any advice, pointers, info?

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:00 pm
by RobertGonzalez
If your ISP does not support PHP then you are going to have to look at what they do allow. Perhaps they allow CGI scripts, or ASP? Either way, you really don't them to play with PHP. Just download the Apache web server to your computer, install it, then install the MySQL databaser server to your computer and install it, the download and install PHP. In a few minutes you will have a fully functional web server on your computer that you can play with PHP all you want (including breaking stuff so you can learn) all on your own computer.

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:09 pm
by boogie
Mr. Modnificent, I tried that before but unfortunately, although I have acceptable download speeds from my broadband cable supplier (virgin media in the UK) my upload speeds are so bad that any music files or image files take forever to load in a visitor's browser. It's simply not a viable option to run a site from my own PC.

Any other suggestions?

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:14 pm
by Kieran Huggins
Get a dreamhost account - they're ridiculously cheap and will provide all the server you're likely to need for years to come.

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:19 pm
by boogie
Ok, so to narrow my question down to the critical point, is it not possible to install a runtime PHP environment into my webspace?

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:24 pm
by Inkyskin
nope.

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:32 pm
by RobertGonzalez
When you get a second, go back and reread my post. I wasn't telling you to set up web server as your own host on your PC. I was saying get a hosted account, then use your machine as a development environment. Never develop in production. That is my point.

Get an account that has PHP on, the set up a dev machine on your computer. Dev and test on your PC, and when things are working as expected, upload them to your production (hosted) server.

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:02 pm
by Weirdan
Everah wrote:When you get a second, go back and reread my post. I wasn't telling you to set up web server as your own host on your PC. I was saying get a hosted account, then use your machine as a development environment. Never develop in production. That is my point.
Everah, he didn't need a dev server (judging from this: "my upload speeds are so bad that any music files or image files take forever to load in a visitor's browser. It's simply not a viable option to run a site from my own PC."), he was looking for installing php for the hosting account he already had.

Re: before the beginning...

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:26 pm
by RobertGonzalez
boogie wrote:So this is a question about the use of PHP. I'm a complete newbie, I have HTML/Javascript skills but no PHP background at all.
/... snip .../
Is it possible for me to place a PHP runtime environment in my webspace to support scripts to handle form data in my webpages?
Everah wrote:If your ISP does not support PHP then you are going to have to look at what they do allow. Perhaps they allow CGI scripts, or ASP? Either way, you really don't [ need ] them to play with PHP. Just download the Apache web server to your computer, install it, then install the MySQL databaser server to your computer and install it, the download and install PHP. In a few minutes you will have a fully functional web server on your computer that you can play with PHP all you want (including breaking stuff so you can learn) all on your own computer.
I was only trying to explain to the OP that he does not need to rely on his current ISP to provide him a server space capable of testing PHP. Given the fact that he is a complete n00b, he should probably be developing/playing locally anyway, at least in my opinion. :wink: