php include

outatime

im new here.

anyway, i've never used php before. all im trying to do is use the include command to put my navigation links on every page. i know i've inserted everything right but it still doesn't work. i've uploaded the files to my geocities account and when i go to the php page, instead of it just loading it asks me if i want to download the php file. i've also been trying it without the internet. just making the pages on my computer and nothing will work. i then read that i might not have php installed on my computer. but if i dont have php installed then how have i been able to view php pages while im surfing the net? as you see i'm completely lost. any help would be great. thanks

planetsim

Firstly geocities doesnt have PHP installed, unless its something that has just come up very recently.

Secondly to use PHP it firstly must be installed on a server, secondly there must be a web server that can recognise a .php file to be intepretted by the php engine.

Now to get this working online you must find a host that supports PHP. There are not many free PHP hosts around anymore so you may wish to get paid hosting.

If you want to do testing on your home computer you will also need a webserver + php installed. This stickied thread has a installation tutorial http://phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10245251.

If you do not feel comfortable with that there are a few pre-packaged solutions. Which you can do a search for.

Drakla

Geocities do php and mysql as long as you upgrade hosting to $19.95 a month, which is an absolute ripoff.

Planetsim is so right about getting your own setup for testing, as developing on a remote server is trouble, as at home / work / school if you send a script into a death spiral running something like a mysql query that takes an hour to run (It happens to me about once every three months) all you have to do is shutdown the services or ctrl alt delete and nuke the php thread. On a commercial server you could soon find yourself with a lovely cessation of service email.

Plus you'll end up coding like crazy once it's there.

outatime

thanks for that tutorial. i did everything in that and it worked. now, how do i make my own pages. and more important where do i have to keep the pages to still have the php pages working?