WampServer is a free, open-source web development environment for Windows. It installs Apache, PHP and a MySQL or MariaDB database server on one computer. Developers can then build and run dynamic web applications locally before putting them on a real host. The package also includes phpMyAdmin and Adminer for database work and PhpSysInfo for viewing system information. Alter Way and a small group of project maintainers develop and maintain WampServer. It runs without an Internet connection once installed.
What the installer sets up
A single WampServer installation places the web server, PHP, both database engines and the bundled web applications in one directory and configures them to work together. The installer includes several PHP releases side by side, which matters for developers who maintain sites written for different PHP generations. Apache, MySQL and MariaDB run as Windows services, and WampServer starts, stops and restarts them for the user.
Working from the tray menu
Day-to-day control happens through a notification-area icon handled by WampServer’s tray menu manager. A left-click opens the main menu, organized by component. Entries for Apache, PHP, MySQL, MariaDB and Localhost lead to that component’s versions, settings, logs and configuration files. A right-click opens a second menu with tools and options, including a refresh command and a DNS restart.
The point of this menu is that most server tuning happens without opening configuration files by hand. From the menu, a user can change PHP and Apache settings or open the log of each server. When manual editing is still needed, the user can open a configuration file directly from the menu. If services fail to start, a restart of all services is also available from the left-click menu.
Switching PHP, Apache and database versions
WampServer can hold several releases of each component and switch between them. Choosing a release under PHP, then Versions, changes the PHP module that Apache loads, and the whole server moves to that PHP release.
For projects that need different PHP releases at the same time, WampServer can run PHP through Apache’s FastCGI module. In that mode users can assign each VirtualHost its own PHP version. An older site and a newer one can then run side by side on the same machine.
Extra releases of PHP, Apache, MySQL and MariaDB come as add-ons. These separate installers drop a new release into the existing WampServer setup, after which it appears in the version list. Updated phpMyAdmin, Adminer, PhpSysInfo and Xdebug packages are distributed the same way. Databases do not move between MySQL or MariaDB releases by copying their data folders. Instead, users export the data to an SQL file and import it into the other release.
VirtualHosts and aliases for local projects
Each local project can get its own address. Under the Localhost menu, WampServer opens a form for creating or editing a VirtualHost, which links a local domain name to a project folder. WampServer writes the Apache configuration and the matching entry in the Windows hosts file. It can back up the hosts file before changing it. Internationalized domain names are accepted as server names. Aliases are a lighter alternative: they map a URL path on localhost to a folder elsewhere on the disk.
Databases and bundled tools
MySQL and MariaDB can be used in WampServer, each as its own service. phpMyAdmin and Adminer open in the browser and provide a graphical interface for managing databases, tables and their data. They include the SQL export and import used when moving data between database releases. PhpSysInfo shows details about the host system. The installed Xdebug extension supports debugging PHP code. Users can run its package again after adding a new PHP release. For a damaged or missing menu configuration file, WampServer offers a separate repair tool that rebuilds it.
