Setup the EasyPHP Dashboard

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This article assumes you have installed the EasyPHP Devserver in your Local Environment. Please click here to complete these steps before moving forward if you have not done so.

Start EasyPHP

Navigate to the Taskbar and right-mouse-click over the EasyPHP Devserver icon to display a pop-up similar to below. Next, click the Devserver 17 menu item to start EasyPHP.

💡Note: Alternatively, click the Easy PHP Devserver Taskbar icon to start.

Now, to the far right on the Taskbar is a smaller icon similar to the Easy PHP Devserver icon. Right-mouse-click over this icon to display a pop-up menu.

Right-mouse click over this icon to display a pop-up menu and select Open Dashboard.

If you cannot see this icon, you may need to click the up arrow on the Windows Taskbar, as shown below, to locate it.

A new browser tab will open if successful, displaying the EasyPHP Dashboard.

The EasyPHP Dashboard

Welcome to the EasyPHP Dashboard! This is where you can customize the Local Environment and run apps. Let’s get started!

Start the HTTP and Database Servers

To start the HTTP and/or the Database server(s), click the start toggle button located directly below the appropriate server.

Once the server(s) are started, the toggle button(s) transforms into a stop button.

💡Note: Start the servers before moving forward.

Stop the HTTP and Database Servers

To stop the previously started server(s), click the stop toggle button directly below the server heading.

💡Note: Below each button group is the information about each server in light grey. This will indicate how the current Local Environment is set up.

Refresh the HTTP and Database Servers

Once the server(s) is/are running, the Refresh button, becomes available. This comes in handy when the server(s) need to be refreshed.

Modify the HTTP and Database Settings

To modify the server settings, click the Server Settings button shown below for the server you wish to change.

For this example, the HTTP SERVER Settings button is clicked. This action forwards you to the Apache web page. On the right-hand side, the following options are available for modification:

  • Change the PHP Version.
  • Change the Port Number.
  • Change the Server URL.
  • Change the Document Root.
  • Change the Server Root.
  • View the Log Files.

On the left-hand side, you can click the following menu links:

  • Dashboard: Returns you to the EasyPHP Dashboard.
  • Setup & Applications: In this area, you can:
    • Choose to automatically start the servers on boot-up.
    • Update an existing application.
    • Add a new application.
  • PHP: This menu will expand to display a list of available PHP versions to select, or add a new version (+).
  • HTTP Server: This menu expands to display a list of available Apache versions to select or add a new version (+).
  • DB SERVER: To modify the settings without returning to the EasyPHP Dashboard, select the appropriate MySQL (in bold) or add a new one (+) to be forwarded to the MYSQL page.
  • PYTHON: In this area, you can do the following:
    • Select from a list of existing Python versions.
    • Add (+) a new Python version if none is available.
    • Using the SHEBANG LINE.
    • An example of usage.

Click the Dashboard link on the left-hand side to return to the EasyPHP Dashboard.

💡Note: Python will be delved into further in our article Configuring Python with EasyPHP. However, details for setting up Ruby and Perl will not be covered.

Change Server

To change the current server(s), click the Change Server button below the selected server to be forwarded to the appropriate server page.

For this example, the DATABASE SERVER change server button is clicked.

On the right-hand side is a list of available MySQL versions. In most instances, there would be a list of different MySQL versions to select from. To start, however, there are three (3) of the same version listed.

If there were different versions and you wanted to select a different one, click the appropriate MySQL link to be forwarded to the MYSQL page. Click the start button to start the selected version.

Click the Dashboard link on the left-hand side to return to the EasyPHP Dashboard.

Working Directories

Before using the Local Environment, you must decide on the Portable Directory where the coding files will be saved. There are two (2) options available.

Option 1: The Default Folder

On installation, the default folder is set for you. Nothing needs to be done! From here, you can hover over the folder name and click it.

This action will open the default folder (your display may differ).

Option 2: Add Directory

If you prefer to reference a different Portable Directory, click the Add Directory button to be forwarded to the Add Working Directory page.

Modify the Working Directory Name and the Path to the Working Directory as needed.

After making the appropriate change(s), click the Save button to confirm and return to the EasyPHP Dashboard.

💡Note: The Finxter Academy has found it convenient to create a Desktop icon to easily access the selected Portable Directory folder.

The Modules

Click the open button for any of these MySQL modules to be forwarded to the phpMyAdmin area.

💡Note: All three (3) MySQL Administration links are identical and take you to the same phpMyAdmin page. However, as time passes, you may need to install different MySQL versions.

In the phpMyAdmin area, you can create a database, a table, run a query, and much, much more!

If you are unfamiliar with MySQL, please click here to read the documentation.

PHP Code Tester

This is a great place to test a snippet of your PHP code. Instructions are mentioned on the left-hand side. This area will not be covered in our articles.

💡Note: Remember to stop the servers before shutting down your computer.

Summary

In this article, you learned quite a bit about setting up a Local Environment to best meet your requirements. We also discussed a few subjects that will be looked at in more detail in the following articles.

We look forward to seeing you in our next article, CSV to MySQL Table [EasyPHP + PHPMyAdmin]!