PHP Installation and Setup

Before writing PHP you need PHP installation on your computer, or access to a server that runs PHP. Fortunately, setting up PHP locally takes only a few minutes, and PHP even ships with its own development web server.

Installing PHP

  • Windows: download a ZIP from windows.php.net or install a bundle like XAMPP or Laragon, then add the PHP folder to your PATH
  • macOS: install Homebrew, then run brew install php
  • Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-mysql
  • Any OS: Laravel Herd gives you PHP, Composer and a local server in one installer

Check the PHP Version

Open a terminal and ask PHP for its version. If you see a version number, PHP is installed correctly.

php -v
PHP 8.3.12 (cli) (built: Sep 24 2024 18:08:04) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.3.12, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies

Run a PHP File From the Command Line

Create a file named hello.php and run it with the php command. This is the fastest way to practise the examples in this tutorial.

<?php
// hello.php
echo "PHP is working!";
$ php hello.php
PHP is working!

Use the PHP Built-in Web Server

To see PHP pages in a browser, start the built-in server in your project folder. Then open http://localhost:8000 and PHP will serve index.php automatically. It is meant for development only, not production.

php -S localhost:8000
[Fri Oct 31 10:00:00 2026] PHP 8.3.12 Development Server (http://localhost:8000) started

Install Composer

Composer is the package manager for PHP. You will need it for libraries and for Laravel. Install it from getcomposer.org and check it with composer --version. An editor such as VS Code with the PHP Intelephense extension makes writing PHP much nicer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I run a PHP file?

Run php filename.php in a terminal, or start the built-in server with php -S localhost:8000 and open the file in your browser.

Do I need XAMPP to run PHP?

No. XAMPP is convenient because it bundles Apache and MySQL, but PHP on its own plus the built-in server is enough for learning.

Why does my browser show PHP code instead of running it?

You probably opened the file directly from disk. PHP must be run through a web server, so open it via http://localhost instead of file://.