To develop and run PHP on your computer, you need to instal three important parts.
Web server
PHP can almost always be used with any webserver software. The Apache server that is used the most.
Here is where you can get the Apache server for free –
https://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi
Database:
Just like a Web server, PHP works with almost every database programme. The MySQL database is the one that is used the most.
Here is where you can get the MySQL Database for free –
https://www.mysql.com/downloads/
PHP Parser:
The Parser’s job is to process the instructions in the PHP script. A Parser creates HTML output that can be sent to web browsers later.
Make some.php files and put them in your web directory. The server will parse them for you for free. Most web hosts support PHP, but if your server doesn’t support PHP, you’ll need to instal it.
Here, at http://www.php.net/manual/en/install.php, is where you can get PHP.
Type this address into the address box on your browser:
After this, if the information about your PHP installation shows up in the browser, you have PHP and a web server installed. Or you’ll have to install it on your computer.
Setting up PHP server
Before you go any further, you need to make sure that your computer is set up so that you can use PHP to make web programmes.
Most people like to download solutions that cover everything.
For Windows, WampServer is the way to go.
It consists of
-Apache
-MySQL
-PHP
http://www.wampserver.com/en/
For Linux: http://lamphowto.com/