I have downloaded XAMP so I can test a php form script (I wasn't going to but need to test the site before I put it on the net). I am trying to find the time to learn how to use it but am a complete novice to this sort of thing.

Can someone please point me to a simple, easy to use and understand guide on how to get a site on my hardrive to work with XAMP. I have looked on the net but I am getting more confused by the day.

Any help would be appreciated.

1. download and install
2. put files in htdocs folder
3. put database files in phpmyadmin (right click the little icon on your toolbar)
4. set config files of scripts to appropriate settings
5. type localhost in your browser and observe : )

Thanks andrei155

Not to sound like I dont know what I am doing! I may be overcomplicating things I shouldn't be but can I ask a few questions. Sorry for the questions but I think reading everything I have on the net has fried my brain!

1. download and install

Done that

2. put files in htdocs folder

I used the standard install that automaticaly put the XAMP files in the program files, should I move the XAMP files somewhere else or do you mean move the web site files?

3. put database files in phpmyadmin (right click the little icon on your toolbar)

I dont have any database stuff, just a form which needs processing with php so should I copy the php script file into the phpmyadmin file (and is this file!)

4. set config files of scripts to appropriate settings

I am not aware the files need any config changes but I could be wrong, will the php script file needs it permission details altered? (i use DW and can not see how to change file permissions without using an FTP program, I would rather do it with DW if possible)

5. type localhost in your browser and observe : )

I typed local host in as thats about the only info I could find and I did get the XAMP meu up but as you have propably guessed, I didn't know what to do with it - this will hopefully change after I have enough info.

Again thanks for the help.

alrighty.
1. good : )
2. That is fine. The htdocs folder comes with the installation and is like the "www" of your web server. It is what you see when you go to localhost
3. if no database stuff is needed, don't touch phpmyadmin
4.if no database stuff is needed don't touch configs
5.Should change when you upload things to the htdocs folder.

another thing worth mentioning:
IF you upload files into the htdocs folder, and delete things that are already inside of it, AND the "index.php" isn't being read as the "home page" of the web server, meaning that its not the first page you see when going to localhost, and instead you see the directory, you would have to open the apache config, and change the DirectoryIndex.

Thanks Andrei

That has cleared a few things up, so just to confirm...

I upload the site to htdocs folder just as I would a web server (upload with DW to remote server)

Is that right?

ps.

My index page is index.html and the only php file I have is sendmail.php which is a form handling script - I take it XAMP will still work ok?

Yes, that sounds about right. I'm assuming DW is dreamweaver . I've never used the remote server features, but they should work .. dreamweaver always come through . If all goes wrong, simply drag in to the htdocs folder.

Yes the script would work just fine, assuming it is working in the first place .

Sorry about this but...

There are other files in the htdocs folder, one of them is index.php - I clicked on it and it states that there is something wrong with the XAMP insallation, when I clicked on the index.html that was already in there it showed a page stating everything works?

mmm.. I copied everything into the htdocs file and opened the localhost in explorer and got the orange XAMP menu pages. Is there something else I should do?

not unless you want to go online with the webserver, in which case, I'd recommend a linux box . Delete it all, and put what you need. Ignore any commentary.

OK so the only thing I have in the htdocs is the site I want to test?

yes, that is correct.

Got it working, thanks again Andrea you have been most helpful - it is appreciated.

Andrei* lol - guy name : P

No problem, don't mention it, glad it's all worked out

Sorry Andrei...

One last thing, does XAMP come with PHP as I keep getting parse errors and I am not sure if XAMP already has PHP with it? may sound like a daft question but what can I say...

I think it does.

Try creating a blank index.php and going to localhost/index.php see if it loads it.

Also, note that it does not come with a working mail server .. so the form won't be able to work.

Originally Posted by andrei155

I think it does.

Try creating a blank index.php and going to localhost/index.php see if it loads it.

Also, note that it does not come with a working mail server .. so the form won't be able to work.

Thanks Again for the info, my reason for downloading XAMP was just to test the form - what can I do so I can test the form? Do I download somthing else altogether or just something for XAMP?

To get the form working, your going to have to get an email server working as well, which is something that you really don't want to get involved with.

Drop me a pm with the username and password you want, and i'll give you some free space off of my server, so you can do some testing. Sound Good?

Hi Andrei,

I wouldn't want to take advantage of your help, thanks for the offer though.

Hey, no problem. I'm just trying to help you out, and it wouldn't make a considerable difference with anything.

I read over your post in the php forum, and I noticed that people actually found some problems with your code. Now, I didn't take a look at the code itself, and the problems they suggested, but from the error message you are receiving, this is what's happening (nothing to do with the code):

You have a form that is going to send out an email. However, in your php.ini you are connecting to a local mail server. Okay, it all sounds good but theres one problem. You don't have one installed. Or even working for that matter. Back, when i first got my xamp installed, I was having this very same problem. I wanted to run my website live off of my home computer, to learn a thing or two about managing a website. However, I couldn't for the life of me, get the mail server to work.

I read on many tutorials that some ISP's blocked port 25 outgoing. Port 25 is the email server. I asked my ISP, and they said that they block no such port. So I went in my router config, enabled port 25 for outgoing and incoming, and still no go! I though that it must be some kind of software problem, so I went thorugh dozens of email servers. Nothing, I could not send, nor receive email from my home computer (using the mail server). I figured that it must be the ISP. So i finally decided to go through their own mail servers, with the emails. Well, it worked. It ended up being that they DO block incoming and outgoing on the smtp port, but not to their own servers.

...
What I'm trying to say is that if you'd like to keep it testing you should really dig some things up, and that the problem your receiving is from the non-existant mail server (sorta got off track )