3. Setting up an Apache Server

What is the framework
This small framework enables you to simulate a GoFundraise Event site on your local machine, so that you can confidently develop the look-and-feel and functionality of the site, and know that it will work when you paste your code into the Event Creator system.Set up a development environment with local Apache server (XAMPP)

In order to get an efficient workflow happening so you can develop your site on your local machine, you will do best to:

• set up a basic local Apache server running PHP on your local computer – XAMMP on OSX and Windows;
• set up a Virtual Host for your site in your server environment eg. http://testsite.dev, running fro example from a local folder Sites/testsite.dev
• This folder can now contain all the php, image and javascript files you need to a create a development environment for a GoFundraise site.

XAMPP is available for free from https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html. Basic setup instructions are available in the screencast.

No PHP knowledge required
You don’t need to know PHP for use in this setup – it is really the same as working with HTML pages, but using PHP allows us to split our HTML pages into manageable bits for developing for the GoFundraise platform.

NOTE: GoFundraise does not provide helpdesk support for setting up local server environments or PHP beyond the basic instructions in the screencast. You had best talk to your IT people at work if you have any problems getting this working. There are also heaps of resources available on the internet – just Google it!