PHP - Setup

PHP is an open-source, server side scripting language for creating Web pages using resources available at a server, often a database.

UMUC has set up PHP, version 4, in a secure environment on the Nova server. In order to access the program certain precursor preparation is necessary. At UMUC, PHP is run using a program, cgiwrap. here is the drill:

  1. Create a directory called cgi-bin as a child of your Nova www directory. For example:

    ~<home_directory>/www/cgi-bin/

    All PHP scripts must be placed in this cgi-bin directory or in a child of this directory.

  2. Set the permissions for the cgi-bin directory and all included subdirectories and scripts to chmod 700.

  3. Include '#!/usr/local/bin/php' as first line of all PHP scripts or HTML coded pages that include PHP scripts.

  4. Use the format:

    http://nova.umuc.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/user_name/<subdirectory_if_ any>/<file_name.php>

    to call a PHP file, or a HTML coded file that contains PHP code (which then becomes a PHP file.)
A sample HTML coded page that includes PHP code:
The 'live' link:
HTML file with included PHP code

The code: 
#!/usr/local/bin/php
<!-- TDay.php, ffl, 9/20/03 -->
<html>
<head>
<title>Date/Time Listing PHP Script</title>
</head>
<body>
<h5>Date/Time Listing PHP Script</h5>

   <?php
	
   echo "According to this server today is: <br>";
   $today = date("l dS of F Y h:i:s A"); 
   print "$today";
	
   ?>

</body>
</html>

Note: More than you want to know about PHP date codes can be found here.

A sample PHP coded page that writes the HTML:
The live link:
A PHP file that writes the html

The code: 
#!/usr/local/bin/php
<?php
//Sum_01.php, ffl, 9/20/03
   
  echo "<html>
     <head>
     <title>Simple PHP code</title>
     </head>
     <body>
     Just a few lines of PHP code wrote this HTML<br>
     page as well as doing a bit of arithmatic.
     <br><br> 
     1.254 + 3.683 = ";

   $sumIt=1.254+3.683;
   print "$sumIt";

   echo "
     <br><br>
     </body>
     </html>"
?>

Note: The PHP echo and print commands are interchangeable.

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