Whenever we get anxious about jumping into a new project, it’s very easy to forget to cover the basics. For web developers, this can be very costly, especially if you are looking to develop an application in PHP.
Fortunately, it’s possible to set up a virtual development environment where you can start coding in PHP as well as test the different features and functionalities of your website before taking it live.
WAMP is one popular choice for developers who use Windows operating systems. While there are other choices, such as XAMPP, this article will cover the exact steps of installing WAMP server.
Now let’s dive into the details.
What is a WAMP Server?
WAMP stands for Windows (operating system), Apache (webserver), MySQL (database), and PHP (coding language). WAMP can be compared to two other close variants, namely:
- LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) for Linux Systems and,
- MAMP (Mac, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) for Mac OS operating systems
WAMP, therefore, is a localhost server for Windows Operating Systems that lets you manage, create, test, and develop websites without having to use a remote web server.
What do we mean here?
Let’s take WordPress as an example. If you want to build a website on the WordPress platform, for example, you can use the WAMP server to create a local environment that allows you to work offline.
Here you can experiment with code, plugins, design, as well as test the different features of your website before taking it live.
It’s important to note that Apache, PHP, and MySQL are all open-source software. This means that you can install and configure each service individually.
However, this process is not easy, even for skilled developers. Luckily, a WAMP server automates the configuration process giving you a local working environment in a matter of minutes.
With that in mind, now let’s look at how to install a WAMP server.
Step 1: Installing and Setting Up WAMP Server on Windows Computer
The first step is to download the latest version of the installer file for the WAMP server on to your Windows PC.
To do this:
- Visit the WAMPserver website.
- On the web page, you’ll see the “START USING WAMPSERVER” button. Click on it.
- The button will automatically take you to the “DOWNLOADS” section where you’ll be greeted by two versions of the WAMP server namely, WAMP SERVER 64 BITS (X64) and WAMPSERVER 32 BITS (X86).
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This article was written by MyThemeShop Editorial Team and originally published on Blog – MyThemeShop.