Hi Everybody,

I've just finished the general outline of a web site I have in my imagination.

At this point, I would like to start with a log-In and build a simple "userName" & "Password" database.

This database would have to be secure that users can not just view the database.

Question-1: Is this going to be a huge project?

Question-2: What scripting language should I start to study?

Start looking at PHP - open source and great documentation.

You will need to use PHP along with MySQL (database) to retrieve the values and store the values etc.

I've already wrote a few for my own sites so if you need any help or guidance let me know!

What operating system are you on? There is a great program you can download but which one you download depends on your operating system.

Kind regards,

NT.

Thanks NT.

I'm on a Windows o/s, Windows 7 to be exact.

I just looked at the PHP for Windows download site. There seem to be several flavours, and that confuses me.

Is this going to be a package, like Visual Basic? That requires an Development Editor and such... and eventual compilation?

Thanks,
-Paul-

You can download a program called WAMP, which will give you access to a 'local server' (so this basically acts like a live site) because you need this to run PHP code as it is a server-side language.

WAMP gives you a development environment to work with. Gives you access to a program called phpMyAdmin (which is where you set up your databases etc).

It's really easy to install and use.

Failing that, you can just find an online web host which allows PHP/MYSQL features and start writing your code in a text editor and upload it to your live version.

I prefer to work on a local machine then upload the site to a live host when ready but it's entirely down to you. Don't be put off by this though, I made the mistake of leaving PHP because it seemed complicated to get started with it but I wish I had started learning PHP straight away.

By the way, you can use a basic text-editor or anything to write php/mysql code, it's just the local/live server which you need to run the PHP code.

What are your thoughts so far?

Kind regards,

NT.

HI NT,

Thank you for the tip about WAMP.

I plan to visit and d/l whatever is necessary. I will continue working with PHP, mainly because the host I have is an Apache server (rather than ms-ISS).
I guess I am easily anal enough to want "what I want" in a site rather than live with someones' template that might be close.
Learned DOS programming for the same reason... Effort means I get what I want.

ACHK! So many flavours! I just went to WampServer and found several versions.... a note to install Visual C++, and plenty of warnings?
ummmm, Is WAMP like an IDE, or are there instructions about how to "start" using it?

Thank you again,sir. I'll be back to this forum soon enough... it's too much fun to miss.

-Paul-

Good evening Paul,

Are you running 64 or 32 bit?

Kind regards,

NT.

Good Evening NT,

Wow! You hit the computer as soon as you get home... before even supper.

My windows' is the 64-bit version.

thx,
Paul

It's 22:23 here

Download the first one in the list.

Kind regards,

NT.

Hi NT,

Installation is all done....

This wampserver is something that runs in the background?

(If I execute wampmanager.exe I don't see an interface nor is it present in the windows o/s "Start Task Manager".)

Hopefully that is the case and I'll wander off to find some stuff to play with.

While I think of it, where is home for you?

Regards,
Paul

When you run WAMP, you should see a Green 'W' in the area by your clock and internet connection etc. Click that and go to localhost.

Then, click on the 'W' again and click on 'www directory'. That basically opens the folder where you need to create your site. You put your site folder in there. That allows you to run PHP in your webpages.

P.S. I'm in England

Kind regards!

NT.

Hello again, NT

Done everything you said but still seem to be hitting a wall.

I display a Red "W" in the Show Hidden Icons tray, and I can choose Local Host from there. However, that opens an explorer box with a Microsoft ISS image. Picking Start All Services from the same list does not change that Local Host.

So, I picked www directory from that list. (I had previously placed all the files from my project into the C:WAMP\www directory)

Sadly, nothing seems to make my index.php file work properly in explorer. Explorer loads index.php as simple text.

I recall reading that Microsoft C++ must be present in order for WAMP to work.
I downloaded vcredist_x64.exe and ran that, but I cannot find any trace of it using the folder explorer.

I wonder if there is a way to test for C++. If it's not there, that might explain why this lot doesn't work.

Thank you very much for your help.

Regards,
Paul

Hi Paul,

Do you have a firewall running? You need to make sure that it allows Wamp and Aestan Tray Menu.

Give that a go and see what happens. I had this problem before.

Kind regards,

NT.

Good afternoon NT,

The only firewall I found on my system was the Windows Firewall.

There is an access feature in that firewall that allows programs way to allow programs to communicate through the firewall, but neither WAMP nor Aestan Tray Menu were listed. I did add wampmanager.exe to this allow list but found no sign of Aestan when I searched the HDD though.

I do notice though, a list of program extensions (.html is associated with HTML document) that .php isn't even on that list.

I wonder what I've done wrong?

I guess it's now MY warmest Regards,
-Paul-

It just occurred to me that all of this stress might be because of my expectations.
It's time to restate my Expectation List?

I expect, that once WAMP and the C++ files are properly set up, that I can load a PHP document from my HDD, lets call it index.php

Loading index.php with iExplorer, Firefox, or Opera will actually load the file and perform the PHP statement in the document.
say...

<?php
echo "My first PHP script!";
?>

Are we on the same page?

Kind Regards,
-Paul;-

Hi NT,

Duhhhhhh,

I'm sorry about asking you "if we were on the same page". That was over the rude border. It seems that I might have been so stressed that I suspended my few good manners and didn't think things through.

The culprit was the Microsoft ISS service which is installed and turned on in my o/s (by default). I should have known that because I have been bitten by services before.

Turned it off, and webserver is happy... and working.

Now... on to a spiffy Log-In script.


Thank you,
-Paul-

Haaa Haaa Hi again NT,

Well... I guess I spoke too soon.
Now it appears that wampserver will not allow access to any of the detailed services like phpmyadmin or MySQL.

Google reports hundreds of different fixes and even the wampserver forum supported by the distributor has nothing.

Can't believe the obstacles.

No need to apologize dude.

Have you got Skype running by any chance? I know it's a silly question, but everytime I have Skype running and I try to start my WAMP server, it stays on the red 'W'. When I close Skype and run WAMP, it works.

Lol strange I know but that could be a potential issue. Not sure if that is just the case with Windows 8 though.

Kind regards,

NT.

Hi NT,

I caught Skype a couple of days ago. It seems Skype likes to use port: 80 and WAMP needs to use the same port:80 Skype didn't mind moving over so all is good.
Not sure if I understand why WAMP wants to talk to someone apart from my computer, though.

What was making me nuts, was that my installed version wouldn't let me anywhere near the phpMyAdmin or the MySQL. Period! A BIG NO! The rejection came with a message that a Log-In had failed and I had assumed the wampserver menu wanted a "password", so that was a key in my search.
I spent days reading whacky solutions in message-boards all over this continent. BAH! Nothing but folks who had entered lines and more lines of shit right into the cmd.exe ...... roight.
Turned out to be really simple.... just a couple of lines changes in a config file. Wasn't a password, it was the localhost address (127.0.0.1) wasn't quite right in the config script. That's all

Good thing I'm old enough to drink!

And of course, it seems to be good and stable now... just in time for me to get to know database stuff and attempt that log-in I wanted to explore.

Have a nice evening,

-Paul-

That's awesome news I'm glad you managed to get it sorted. I must admit I did search many forums trying to find a solution for you because I'm no good with the ins and outs of the wamp program, I just know how to use it.

If you need any help you can catch me on here or my Skype username is on my profile page I think. Failing that the only other thing I have to communicate is Steam.

Good luck with your research on php and databases, you're going to love it. It will not only open up a whole new concept of building a website, but it will allow you to create dynamic websites, loading in content from databases and checking user information against such information already in the database and much much more..

Gimme a shout if you get stuck and need a hand. I'm usually on around 6pm GMT until 2-3 the next morning so I'm sure I'll catch you.

Kind regards,

NT.