How To Create My Own PHP Website

PHP is a scripting language that is used by most web developers. This scripting language works on the server side. It allows the website to be more interactive and is preferred by many because it can immediately retrieve information from a database that is supported by MySQL. This helps the server instantly update the information on your website as a web user types in your web address. These two applications, PHP and MySQL work best together particularly if you have a database-driven website. Unlike HTML, PHP allows the developer to separate the web content from the design elements of your website. This makes editing your website a lot easier and faster. PHP can be intimidating for those without prior knowledge of any scripting language but with the help of some hosting sites, you will be able to create a PHP-based website on your own.

* PHP and MySQL applications are free to download and use. While PHP takes care of the scripts for how the website behaves, MySQL takes care of all the information contained in the website. MySQL takes care of aligning all these information and the relation among these bits of information.
* You can either choose a web host that operates on PHP and MySQL such as WordPress or lease one from a popular hosting site such as GoDaddy. This will make it easier for you to create your website since the applications are already installed. But if you are going to create your website using your own computer before uploading it to a web host with a Linux server to go live, you have to download and install PHP and MySQL into your computer.
* WampServer is a free installer that you can download so you can create a temporary web server environment on your computer running on Windows. Wamp is an acronym for Windows, Apache, MySQL and PHP. Follow the instructions on how to install and set this up.
* Think about the name for your domain. It can be quite difficult to come up with a domain name that has not been taken up yet. What you can do is make a list of at least two hundred names that will describe your website and its content or theme and check it with domain registrations sites. You can also check domain names with GoDaddy. Once you have checked that your domain name in unique go ahead and register it. Web hosting leases and domain name registration are quite cheap these days so these will not put too much strain on your budget.
* Once you have registered your domain name you will be able to log on to the web hosting site to start creating your website. You start by compiling all the elements for your website and have MySQL manage your content. All the information for your site should be included here. This is your database and this is where PHP will get all the information it needs to build your website. You will have to note the user name, password and the name of the database, as you will use these in the future.
* A PHP-based website needs a content management system or CMS to manage the contents of your website and to direct where the different elements will appear. Joomla is a popular open source CMS. Its features are robust and very intuitive when it comes to making revisions and updating your website because it automatically converts your added content into PHP script.
* For uploading large files into your account with the web host’s server, it will be better for you to use an FTP or file transfer protocol program that will deliver all your files securely. You can set up the FTP program to connect your computer to the web host server with ease.
* After uploading all your website content to the web host’s server you need to upload your CMS to your site. You may direct the browser to look for the installation folder by giving your domain name and the name of the folder to be installed. This installation folder should be deleted once you have installed the CMS on your site.
* You have the option to choose one of the templates that are available for free to give your site a semblance of being a true website. To make your website look and feel unique, look for design templates that you can use for a small fee or commission a graphic artist or web designer to create a web design template. This will give you room to choose colors and graphics that will enhance your website.


After all that work you are now ready to view your own PHP website. Make sure that all elements are in place and there are no grammatical and typographical errors in your web copy. Do this step before you fully launch your website.