# php ijit needs help. REAL basic.

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 7, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441 "2005-03-07T22:14:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441/1 "2005-03-07T22:14:42Z")

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Okay, so I’m trying to learn php. I use the example given, plonk \<?php print(Date(“l F d,Y”)); ?\> into a text file, save as test.php, open with firefox.  
Nothing.  
What’s wrong here? 😕

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### Author: ![larsenmtl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441/2 "2005-03-07T22:31:21Z")

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PHP is a server-side scripting language. You would need to have a web-server with PHP installed return your “test.php” for this to work.

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### Author: ![SiouxChief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@SiouxChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiouxChief)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441/3 "2005-03-08T05:29:41Z")

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So, if your web server is running on your local computer, PHP is configured correctly, and your “test.php” file is located in the base web directory, you can access your file with firefox by going to: [http://localhost/test.php](http://localhost/test.php)

Another good test script to use with PHP is

```auto

<?php phpinfo (); ?> 

```

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### Author: ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/php-ijit-needs-help-real-basic/293441/4 "2005-03-08T13:58:01Z")

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You can’t just “open” the file in FireFox is what **SiouxChief** is saying, i.e., you can’t use a file:// URL. You must use an http:// URL.