And Now for a Public Service Announcement
Well, well, well, look who’s back! It’s me, your favorite forgetful former Sophomore Dev Andrew who disappeared off the face of the internet for a couple of years (not really). Remember me? No? Yeah, I don’t blame you. Even I forgot about my blog until recently when I stumbled upon it by accident while trying to find a recipe for vegan lasagna (not really). Oopsie! So here we are, back at it again with the mediocre content and occasional spelling errors. But hey, a lot has changed in the past few years – like seriously, have you seen what’s going on in the world right now? So buckle up and let’s see if I can still string together some coherent sentences and make you laugh (or mostly – cringe) along the way.
Why am I writing about the built-in PHP web server today? Well, because I actually wanted to write about something else entirely, something that could be summed up in two sentences, and that seemed like a bad start to rebooting the site.
PHP is one of the most popular web development languages used in the world today. It provides developers with a robust set of tools to create feature-rich and dynamic web applications. One such tool that PHP offers is its built-in web server – a handy way to test applications and share local files on your network quickly.
We’ll dive deeper into what the PHP built-in web server is, how it works, and why it’s useful for developers.
What is the PHP Built-In Web Server?
The PHP built-in web server is precisely what it sounds like – a lightweight server that comes bundled with PHP installations. It allows developers to serve their web applications locally without requiring external software like Apache or Nginx.
The built-in server supports execution of PHP scripts, catch-all routing, and static files with common MIME types. It provides an integrated solution for testing and development purposes, allowing developers to work efficiently in a familiar environment.
Why Use The Built-In Web Server?
There are several benefits to using the PHP built-in web server:
- Simplicity: The built-in web server is easy to set up and requires no additional configuration or installation processes beyond installing PHP itself.
- Lightweight: Since it’s designed only for development purposes and not production use, it’s lightweight in nature, making it faster than other servers like Apache or Nginx.
- Security: The built-in web server has limited features compared to dedicated servers; this makes it less prone to vulnerabilities and hacking attempts.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: The built-in server runs on all major operating systems; Windows, Mac OS X, Linux/Unix-based systems as well as different versions of PHP (5.x – 8.x).
- Integrated Debugging: Developers can take advantage of integrated debugging tools since both the application code and the webserver run on the same machine.
How to Use the PHP Built-In Web Server
Using the built-in web server is straightforward. First, ensure PHP is installed on your computer. Then open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to your project’s root directory. Finally, start the web server with the following command:
php -S localhost:8000This command will start the built-in webserver at port 8000 of your local machine. Visit http://localhost:8000 in your browser to see your application running.
You can also specify a different port like this:
php -S localhost:8080The PHP Built-In Web Server is a great tool for developers who want an easy-to-use, lightweight solution for testing and developing their applications locally. It provides all the necessary features required for development purposes without compromising on performance or security. If you’re looking for a convenient way to test your applications without relying on external servers, then give the built-in web server a try today!
