Support > Web Development > Writing and Using PHP Scripts

Writing and Using PHP Scripts

Task:

How do I write and use PHP scripts on my Auburn web space?

How to do it:

There are simple methods for getting down the basics of writing and using PHP scripts.

Follow these steps:

  1. To write a PHP script, you can use any text editor, like Notepad, and some HTML editors, like Macromedia Dreamweaver. There are also plenty of freeware programs specifically designed for writing PHP code.

  2. Writing PHP code involves going through a tutorial or book. Listed below are few good PHP tutorials on the Internet:

    Internet resource: FreeWebmasterHelp.com
    Internet resource: theSiteWizard.com
    Internet resource: Zend

  3. Once you've finished programming your PHP code, save the file with a .php extension. PHP runs on your web server, not on the user's browser, so you do not need to worry about compatibility issues.

  4. Upload the file via FTP to your Auburn account web space.

  5. If the file needs to manipulate or access any other files, set the correct UNIX permissions for those files.

  6. To debug your PHP code, access your script via a web browser and look for any errors that might appear and their corresponding line numbers. Use the error message and line number to make appropriate changes to the script.

Common Topic: What is PHP scripting and how can I use it?
How-to: Using server-side includes
Common Topic: Requesting a mySQL database
How-to: Accessing a mySQL database
Troubleshooting: I get a parse error when I run my PHP script.