You need to download two things.

When you have finished with the downloads, you should have somewhere on your machine an easyphp-setup.exe file as well as a pmb-xxxx.zip (xxxx being the version number).

We shall start by installing EasyPHP which comprises an Apache Web server, the MySQL database, and the PHP language together with their various tools.

Double-click on the icon of the EasyPHP archive.

This following will appear on your screen, after confirming the dialog box.

Figure 5.2. Screen 1, EasyPHP Set up

Click on the 'Next' button to display the licence page.

The EasyPHP installer displays a screen prompting you to confirm your acceptance of the distribution licence.

Figure 5.3. Screen 2, EasyPHP set up

Tick "I accept..." then click on the 'Next' button to continue.

The next screen displays some information namely on updates from a previous version of EasyPHP.

Figure 5.4. Screen 3, EasyPHP set up

The next dialog box allows you to determine where you want the EasyPHP components installed.

Figure 5.5. Screen 4, EasyPHP set up

The default location is the best choice, all you have to do is click on the 'Next' button to continue.

The next dialog box will allow you to decide where to place the EasyPHP shortcuts.

Figure 5.6. Screen 5, EasyPHP set up

Here again, the default location is the best choice, all you have to do is click on the 'Next' button to continue.

The install programme then displays a new screen recapitulating your install choices.

Figure 5.7. Screen 6, EasyPHP set up

Click on 'Install' to start the installation proper.

Figure 5.8. Screen 7, EasyPHP set up

After a few moments necessary for copying the EasyPHP files, a page listing important changes since the previous version of PHP is displayed on screen :

Figure 5.9. Screen 8, EasyPHP set up

We shall not start the application for now, this will be done at a later stage. Therefore clear the tick box and click 'Finish'. You may, if you so wish, restart your computer. This is recommended even though not required after the EasyPHP install.

Figure 5.10. Screen 9

The Windows Start menu includes a new entry for EasyPHP now :

Figure 5.11. Start menu showing EasyPHP

Click on the entry 'EasyPHP' to start the Web server.

You will know whether the Web server is running or not just by looking at the system tray on your task bar :

Figure 5.12. EasyPHP icon next to the clock

Displayed there is the EasyPHP icon with a red dot blinking, meaning everything is fine.

Right-click your mouse to display the contextual menu.

Figure 5.13. EasyPHP contextual menu

The entries 'Quit', 'Stop', 'Restart' allow you to stop or restart the Web server.

Choose the entry 'Configuration' to display the application's parameters :

Figure 5.14. EasyPHP configuration

You can tick the option 'Start on Windows startup' (or start Apache and MySQL as services if you are on Windows NT). This will cause the server to start automatically when you boot your computer, avoiding you having to effect a manual start. Do not touch the other options unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Now you know how to start the Apache and MySQL servers.

Now look for the ZIP file containing the PMB archive :

Figure 5.15. ZIP file containing the PMB archive

For this tutorial, we will assume you are installing the application in the folder 'c:\pmb'.

Extract the archive into this directory with your usual zip extraction software programme (WinZip, PowerArchiver, ...) to obtain this :

Figure 5.16. Content of the PMB archive

If you don't know how to use the zip extraction software programme, ask around, or go to the documentation supplied along with the application.

Note : The content of the directory may vary depending on which version of PMB you have downloaded.

We will assume that you have copied the PMB files into the directory 'c:\pmb' and that the Apache Web server is functioning (you have started the server and the EasyPHP icon is blinking in the system tray on the task bar).

Click the EasyPHP icon on the task bar to open the contextual menu and select the entry 'Administration' :

Figure 5.17. EasyPHP contextual menu

The Web browser will open on this page.

Figure 5.18. EasyPHP administration screen

This is the administration page of EasyPHP. It will help you configure your server easily.

Click on the link 'add' on the administration page of EasyPHP. The following fill-in form will appear on your screen :

Figure 5.19. EasyPHP administration screen, creating an alias

Enter the following data in the fill-in form :

Type a name for the alias : pmb

Type the directory path : c:\pmb

Directory default settings : leave the default settings as they are

Finally click 'OK' to create the PMB alias.

Validate the creation of the alias and the following page will be displayed on your screen :

Figure 5.20. EasyPHP administration screen, showing the PMB alias

The item 'alias' now displays an entry 'pmb', it is the very link that will allow you to access the application.

After creating the alias you may have to restart the Apache server if you are using an earlier version of EasyPHP so it can recognize the alias. Right-click on the EasyPHP icon in the system tray, then on Restart. Not necessary with EasyPHP 1.8 or later.

Now start your Web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla Firefox) and go to http://localhost/pmb.

Your browser now displays a new window showing the PMB login screen :

Figure 5.21. PMB login screen

Take good note of the path indicated on your browser's address bar : http://127.0.0.1/pmb/. This address bypasses the EasyPHP menu giving you direct access to the application. You may add it to your favourites or bookmarks, or even place a shortcut on your desktop. Remember : You can only access this page if EasyPHP is started and active on the task bar.

[Editor's note : 127.0.0.1 is the same as localhost.]

On the screen capture above, PMB did not detect any configured database : click on the link "tables/install.php" to create or configure a database usable with PMB. For more information on configuring the database, see Section 3, "Configuring the PMB database".

To function properly PMB needs various PHP extensions : YAZ, XML, GD ou GD2, BZ2.

The DLL corresponding to these extensions need to be copied in \windows\system32 : expat.dll, iconv.dll, sablot.dll, yaz.dll.

These DLL are available in the directory Program Files\EasyPHP\php for an installation with EasyPHP.

There are other recommendations for the configuration of PHP and MySQL with PMB (max_execution_time, ...). For more information, consult the Chapter Important information further up.

The PHP Windows installer is available at http://www.php.net/downloads.php, it installs the CGI version of PHP, and configures the Web servers IIS, PWS, and Xitami.

Note that although InstallShield is a quick way to install PHP, it has limited functions as some extensions are not automatically installed. You can obtain the complete set of PHP extensions by downloading and unzipping the archive manually.

For more information on this installation, go to http://www.nexen.net/docs/php/annotee/install.windows.installer.php.

You will find a tutorial at http://www.asp-php.net/tutorial/asp-php/iis_et_mysql.php.