Advice Request for a local web server

I need a simple local httpserver/PHP system installed on my machine. I've downloaded a PHP package that easies this process by configuring itself on a few web servers. Just what I need for now.

Unfortunately IIS is feeding me blank pages for some reason I can't figure out. So, I'm wanting to disable this service again and move on to another local web server solution that is easy to install and maintain without forcing me to waste time learning it.

A quick perusal revealed a few names. I need your advice in what would be the best choice, considering I'll be wanting to learn PHP for server side scripting and database access. This is for a windows XP machine

Xitmami - worries me. Links to documentation pages all return 404
Sambar - Was this discontinued?
Apache - Seems complicated to setup and maintain based on some script language I don't want to learn.

It sounds like you are using Windows, since you mentioned IIS.

Therefore, just download WAMP. WAMP is Windows-Apache-MySQL-PHP. In other words, it comes with all that stuff (and more!....except it doesn't come with Windows....it just comes for Windows). It is a free download and it is extremely easy to setup. It has its own installer that just takes one or two clicks. I use WAMP and I love it. It also has SQLite if you ever want to use SQLite as well.

If you are not using Windows, however, then just go for LAMP (the Linux version) or MAMP (the Mac OS X version).

[edit]

Here is a link:

http://www.wampserver.com/en/

[/edit]

Darn David. This thing has my name all over it. Just what I wanted. Thanks a million!

On Windows, I prefer to use the official installers for Apache and MySQL and then install PHP manually. But if you are not interested in doing that and are willing to depend on a third party installer, WAMP should be fine.

Yes, for now this will do since I have a very tight schedule to learn PHP just enough to implement a website with access to a mysql database. The HTML is done and I now need to script it.

Later, I may want to learn more, definitely.

XAMPP is what I use when I am looking to just drop in Apache MySQL PHP Perl

Well, I have wamp up an running now. Was able to create an alias directory on the spot and a dyndns account too, changed the mysql root account to have a password, installed a better mysql manager and query tool, tested a small php script and... all this in 5 minutes. 3 thumbs up.

Just having a nag I'm working on in their forums.

Also took a look at XAMPP website. Seems even nicer particularly due to what seems a better control panel.

edit: well, let's not exagerate. 10 minutes :)

PHP is extremely easy to learn, especially if you have played with Perl at all, or if you haven't then keep in mind that PHP started out as Perl for the web so it is easy to learn one if you learn the other. And PHP documentation is FANTASTIC or at least it was last time I looked through it, just keep the chm file around (assuming you are on windows) and you can find any function you need without a problem.

EDIT: My biggest problem with PHP was finding a good editor for it, I ended up just using Crimson Editor and keeping my folders very organized so and using the directory explorer as my project manager. One thing I would do if you are new to this web applications stuff is make a class for doing all your db stuff and put it in a filetype (extension doesn't mater when you include, just the same as other languages) that you can lock with your webserver so that it isn't possible to access it without being either on the local machine or having direct network access to it.

And never use raw user input in your SQL calls, ever. Look up SQL injection for how to prevent a major security flaw.

EDIT2: I seem to have broken 1k posts in the last day or so, not sure exactly what thread but just noticed. Yay, I am getting old like the other people!

Thanks for the tips, Wraithan. I have a former background to webpage scripting through ASP, so I'm familiar with the security issues. However php is a completely different language from vbscript. So it should be a pleasure to finally be able to script with objects in mind, among many other things.

As for the editor, I have bough WeBuilder some months ago, I'm happy with it as an HTML/CSS tool. I'm about to know it's PHP features including the debugger. If they are as advertised, $40 is a steal.

Ah, didn't know what sort of background you had, so I figured I would share the pitfalls I hit when I was told to make something like that during an internship I had, with no background experience in web development or security.