Localhost Server
for Free Interactive Websites

The process of developing interactive websites can be simplified with the use of a localhost server.

What is a Localhost Server?

Servers are actually machines that store web sites on the internet. The programs that control the access of users to those web sites are also referred to as servers. The most popular of those programs is the free Apache server.

You can download and install the Apache Server program on your Windows machine, and create an environment similar to the internet right on your computer.

When you run the server on your computer without an actual connection to the internet it is called a localhost server.

Why do I need a localhost?

You must be running on a localhost server to process your HTML forms on your PC. When you build a form the action statement calls a CGI script to process the data entered in the input boxes on your form.

The viewing browser must be able to access a server in order to find the scripts and the interpreter that processes the scripts.

Is a localhost server hard to install?

The process of setting up the Apache server for Windows as a localhost and then coordinating it with Perl,PHP and MySQL used to be a very tedious process. Things have changed.

There are now several resources available for installing the Apache server on your PC.
I recommend
Indigo AMPP for Apache/Perl/Php/Mysql

Download and Install

Then download Blumentals HTMLPad 2010 HTML editor. It will sync up with your localhost, right out of the box. Just create your web pages in your c:\indigoampp\apache-2.2.11\htdocs\ folder and turn on Mappings (See tutorial below).

Download Your Free Trial of HTMLPad 2010 Today

Download Free Trial Now!

The Free Trial is fully functional.

Running IndigoAMPP with HTMLPad 2010

I created a simple tutorial to get you up and running. Click Here for tutorial.

When You Need Help

Send Me Your Questions about using HTMLPad 2010 and the IndigoAMPP server and I'll post the answers online. Post Your Questions. Read what others have already posted.