Installing an Apache web browser isn’t a cake walk, especially if you want to add MySQL, PHP, and Perl. Here XAMPP comes as the solution by allowing an easy installation process containing all three distributions.

XAMPP is a free, open-source cross-platform developer tool that uses Apache distribution containing PHP, Perl, MySQL, PHPMyAdmin, the Apache web server, and an FTP server. The database utility acts as a web server solution stack package and is extremely easy to install. It contains packages mainly of the Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB Database, and a couple of interpreters for scripts coded in PHP and Perl programming languages.

The term XAMPP stands for

X- Cross platform

A- Apache

M- MariaDB

P- PHP

P- Perl

The Apache distribution for Windows is also available for Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris. The program has been designed to be the easiest and handiest way to install and run a development server.

Once you have installed the application on your system, setting up XAMPP on your Windows machine becomes a breeze and it saves you a lot of time and efforts. You will find a wide number of WAMP packages in the market, but none can offer the most complete development solution like XAMPP.

Apache’s XAMPP has a control panel that lets you easily configure the services it delivers. It can also install an administration site as the home page of the server.  What’s more, you can undertake all types of administration tasks from here, like checking the server security and status, launching tools such as PHPMyAdmin and Webalizer analytics.

It developer tool also enables you to view PHP demos which can be of great use for developers who are at their beginning stage. Apart from it, the Windows application comes handy to anyone looking for a full development server up and running in quick time constraints.

Key feature of XAMPP include an absolutely straightforward UI that ensures you can use it as instantly as it downloads and get started in a jiffy. To use it, just click on XAMPP Free Download, extract, and start.

Once installed, you can treat a localhost like a remote host by connecting, using an FTP client. You can even connect to a localhost via FTP using an HTML editor.

The pros

 > Lightweight

 > Easy installation

 > Intuitive user interface

 > One-stop shop for bundled programs

 > Configurable control panel

The cons

 > Less ideal for experienced developers

 > No real help guide

 > Lack of security features

 > Not a reliable alternative to production server

The bottom line

XAMPP is a Windows web server that simplifies the process for developers to create a local web server for testing and deployment purpose. It has everything from a server application, to database, and scripting language to help you transition from a local test server to a live server, which is extremely easy at the same time.

Offered in a full and standard version, the program includes other modules, like OpenSSL, WordPress, MediaWiki, and many more. Though the security features are disabled by default to make it easy to do the testing, you can use the password-protect feature wherever needed.