ZZEE PHP GUI Help Contents

1. Introduction

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ZZEE PHP GUI is a secure and easy-to-install PHP solution for Windows with zero or little configuration. It sets up in seconds and works out-of-the-box. It allows to run PHP scripts in webbrowser/webserver (GUI) mode by double clicking on them. PHP files or links to them don't have to reside in a special directory, they can be in any folder, on the desktop or in the Start Menu.

1.1. ZZEE PHP GUI advantages

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1.2. System requirements

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1.3. What is ZZEE PHP GUI useful for?

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1.4. What comes with ZZEE PHP GUI

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2. History

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2.1. Version 3.1.0

2.2. Version 3.0.3

2.3. Version 3.0.0

2.4. Version 2.1.0

2.5. Version 2.0.0

2.6. Version 1.2.0

2.7. Version 1.1.0

2.8. Version 1.0.4

2.9. Version 1.0.3

2.10. Versions 1.0.0 and 1.0.1

First public release as ZZEE Script GUI for PHP

3. Installation

3.1. Update from v 1.x

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If you install the program over version 1.x, then the configuration file won't get overwritten, and thus you won't have the ISAPI interface enabled. To switch to the ISAPI interface, you need to go to the Settings and select ISAPI in the Main > PHP.

3.2. Update from ZZEE Script GUI for PHP

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You can not install ZZEE PHP GUI over ZZEE Script GUI for PHP. You need to uninstall ZZEE Script GUI for PHP first, and then install ZZEE PHP GUI. If you want to keep your settings, before you have uninstalled the old product, go to a folder where you have installed ZZEE Script GUI for PHP (typically it is C:\Program Files\ZZEE\ScriptGUI), and copy file "config.xml" somewhere. After the installation, replace new "config.xml" by the one you have saved.

4. How ZZEE PHP GUI works

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4.1. The built-in webserver

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ZZEE PHP GUI has a "webserver", it doesn't use TCP/IP and no-one can connect to it, it is only availabe for the built-in webbrowser. The server has the following features: What it doesn't have:

4.1.1. Which .htaccess file directives are understood by the built-in webserver

4.1.2. Virtual hosts

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Virtual hosts are needed to create independent namespaces for each of the websites or PHP software projects that you develop. This is done in Settings > Virtual Hosts. Thus you can use absolute URLs with ZZEE PHP GUI in the form of http://example.com/file.php. When virtual hosts are created, double-clicking a script located in the directory of a virtual host, will launch the script in the context of this host.
For instance, you have a virtual host "example.com", and the Document Root of this website is c:\files\mysite. And there is file "script.php" in it, c:\files\mysite\script.php . Without a virtual host, it will be launched by ZZEE PHP GUI as http://127.0.0.1/files/mysite/script.php. If you have configured the virtual host, it will be launched as http://example.com/script.php.

Creating these virtual hosts will not affect anything else on your computer or your website, as these settings are only valid for ZZEE PHP GUI.

4.1.3. Logs

Both error and access logs are reset for each session. It means when you launch a new instance of ZZEE PHP GUI, it clears the old logs and starts them over.
Both logs are easily accessible from the top toolbar of the browser. You can change the format of the access log in the Settings > Other.

4.2. The built-in webbrowser

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ZZEE PHP GUI has a webbrowser, which is based on Internet Explorer. It conforms to that version of IE, which is installed on your computer. Therefore it is highly compatible.
Because it deals primarily with trusted content, the browser runs with high permissions and has enabled most of the things that a browser may support, including: Availability of these features doesn't depend on whether they are turned on or off in your Internet Explorer.

4.2.1. Cookies

In addition to Internet Explorer's cookie storage, ZZEE PHP GUI uses its own jar, and therefore session cookies will be supported even if Internet Explorer blocks all cookies.

4.2.2. Internet lock

Because the internal webbrowser runs with high permissions, it is vulnerable to malicious content. To safeguard it from possibly dangerous code, there is the "internet lock" feature. It means that if the browser needs to get a file from the internet (i.e. not from the internal webserver), be it an HTML file, or inline image, or stylesheet, or any other file, then it won't be able to do it, if ZZEE PHP GUI is locked.
You can lock or unlock the webbrowser at any time, clicking the button on the top toolbar. Use the checkbox at Settings > Main to permanently turn the internet lock on / off.

4.3. PHP

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The program comes with the preconfigured PHP of one of the latest versions. To edit the "php.ini" file, click the PHP button at the top toolbar.
The following important settings of PHP are initially set to: You can change them by editing the "php.ini" file.
You can download the PHP manual from the PHP website: www.php.net

4.4. Evaluation version

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You can evaluate the software during 30 days only, after that you must obtain a license. To find out the current price and to buy your copy visit our web site:

http://www.zzee.com/order/?r=sg&s=p

The evaluation version has the following limitations:

5. Common problems and their solutions

5.1. PHP script doesn't give the output I expect

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First of all look into the error log or error messages on screen. The possible reasons are:

5.2. about:blank instead of a PHP script in ZZEE PHP GUI

To avoid this you need to remove ZZEE PHP GUI domain name (it is either zzee.php.gui, or 127.0.0.1, or localhost) from the list of Trusted sites or Local intranet sites in Internet Explorer. This list is in Tools > Internet Options > Security > Local intranet or Trusted site > Sites button.
If you experience problems with your virtual servers, then remove their names or aliases from Trusted or Local Intranet sites in Internet Explorer as well.

5.3. Removing PHP error messages and warnings from the output

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By default the php.ini comes with the settings that print all error messages and warnings onto the browser. To turn this feature off, click the PHP button on the top toolbar, and find the following line in the php.ini file:
display_errors = On
Replace "on" by "off", then save the file.

5.4. How to connect to databases

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ZZEE PHP GUI comes with interfaces to all popular databases, including Mysql, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, Oracle, IBM DB2, SQLite, Firebird, Informix, etc. Some of them are enabled by default. Take a look in the PHP's manual how to use them, the manual is available at the PHP's website at www.php.net.

ZZEE PHP GUI installation contains SQLite, a fast embedded SQL-compliant database. You don't have to install anything to be able to use SQLite - it is available right away - create databases, tables, fill them with data, extract and manipulate it.

5.5. How to enable PHP modules not enabled by default

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ZZEE PHP GUI comes with the most popular modules. Some of them are enabled by default and some are not, because extra modules use more memory and slow down the performance. You can enable them by editing the php.ini file. Typically modules are enabled via statements like:
extension=php_mssql.dll
You need to either uncomment a commented line (if it exists), or add a new line like above (if it is missing). All dlls for the modules are located in the directory where you have installed ZZEE PHP GUI.

5.6. Updating PHP executables

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Replace all PHP files in the folder where you have installed ZZEE PHP GUI by the newer version of PHP binaries which you can take from the PHP website.

5.7. Pop-up windows: creating, resizing, closing

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You can create pop-up windows using Javascript window.open(), just like you would do in a normal webbrowser.
Resizing windows with javascript resizeTo() and resizeBy() doesn't work in this version of ZZEE PHP GUI. You need to pass the size of the pop-up window in the window.open() like in the example above. If you need to specify the size at run time, you can dynamically build the parameters' string, like:
window.open(url, "_blank", "width=" + neededWidth + ",height=" + neededHeight);

Pop-up windows can be closed with Javascript window.close() function. However, the main window can be closed with window.close() only if ZZEE PHP GUI browser's user interface is disabled (you can disable it in Settings > Main). If it is enabled, you need to use window.top.close() .

5.8. How to integrate Perl and other script interpreters

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Install Perl on your computer and then:
Similarly you can intergrate other script interpreters. The only requirement is that they must be able to work in the CGI mode, i.e. read from the standard input and write to the standard output.

You also can use compiled executable files in CGI mode, they are supported by ZZEE PHP GUI right away. Special media type "application/x-httpd-exe" is responsible for that.

5.9. Displaying Flash, PDF and Office documents

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Flash and PDF files that are passed from the built-in webserver to the internal webbrowser must be cached. Cache settings are defined in Settings > Cache.

5.10. HTTP directories password protection (401 response code)

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In this version of ZZEE PHP GUI this feature is not supported.

5.11. How to display text in languages other than English

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You need to specify the required encoding in the header of an PHP/HTML file like:
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />

Specifying the default charset in the .htaccess file will not help in this version of ZZEE PHP GUI. Though the webserver understands the instruction and correctly passes it to the webbrowser, the Internet Explorer control doesn't seem to understand this. We are working on how to pass charset to the IE webbrowser control.

5.12. Content-Disposition attachments

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If you issue a Content-Disposition attachment HTTP header and specify a filename there, then only the filename extension will be used by the webbrowser for the default value of the filename to "save as". For example:
Content-disposition: attachment; filename="mydoc.pdf"
In this case internal webbrowser will suggest a name like "url[1].pdf". We are working on how to pass the full filename to the IE webbrowser control in the Content-Disposition header.

5.13. Ctrl+N event

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Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut is surpressed for the onkeydown event. Use other combinations or handle them on the onkeyup event.

5.14. Selecting text

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You can select text only if browser's user interface is disabled. You can disable it in the Settings.

5.15. Context menu

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Context menu (when a user clicks the right mouse button) is available only if browser's user interface is disabled. You can disable it in the Settings.

5.16. Error log for ISAPI

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ISAPI doesn't have a convenient error logging mechanism like CGI does. We recommend switching to CGI API in the Settings > Main > PHP, if you want to see errors in the error log.

5.17. Known issues

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