PHP, MySQL - does it really matter?

I called this thread "does it really matter" 'cause I am really interested to hear what you have to say.

I have been playing around with PHP and MySQL for some time now (not long enough though), and I realised that I have no clue how to "properly" setup PHP or MySQL.

I have read tons of guides/tuts/articles and so on, but they just don't work "properly", so does it really matter that WAMP,XAMP and all the others that are available for us "non-know-it-alls" to setup and yet have no clue what's actually happening?

What's your view (not on the fact that "I" have no clue)?

Cheers

<begin rant>

I think that programs that just blindly take the user through the setup of a (L/W)AMP server are not helpful to anyone, because by definition PHP, MYSQL, APACHE etc all require some degree of technical knowledge and should not just be wrapped up into an easy installer (unless this installer has some kind of GUI config editor, and does not just do a "recommended setup").

I believe this mainly because it hides from the user what is truely happening on the system, so it can introduce security issues. Also installing a basic (W/L)AMP setup is not really that difficult, given that the user takes a little time to read and do some research (apologies to anyone who may be offended by this).

But people need to stop living under a rock and expect fairly complex applications to "just work". Not every program is double click and it works....

</end of rant>

Very true, I agree.

I wish PHP and MySQL were better documented in the installation parts.
I find it very frustrating searching through those sites that have nothing more than definitions and no actual real setup or install instructions(with no images to help you)

If PHP and MySQL was so great you would expect that they understood the correct install is the most important factor.

I said f' it and jumped on to wamp, been happy with it, would prefer to understand it better. Created a little tut to help wamp users upgrade to the latest version of MySQL, even the creators/admins couldn't(maybe wouldn't) help me do it(free is what you get)

Unfortunately it seems to be a kind of a nasty habit of open source applications to have some what lacking documentation. I really think the issues arise from one of two places, one of these is that there is usually little documentation which explains how to integrate an application with others (eg how to integrate Apache and Mysql), even though there may be adequate instructions on how to install either.

Another issue I believe is the outdated nature of some tutorials out on the web. Some tutorials are completely wrong due to changes in the way certain applications work, but not much can be done about poorly written articles.

I think it does matter in some ways.
The cool thing about using WAMP or similar is that you can change MySQL, PHP or Apache versions with a click of a button, wait 3 seconds and there you are.
I use it for bug testing.

Heh, I just remember the old days of me learning PHP, where the first 3 chapters of any book was dedicated to installing PHP

Now they are expensive and most of them outdated like the tutorials on the net.
I searched for over and an hour today on the MySQL site for the ALTER DATABASE syntax and all they have is methods with no real life examples.

I know that phpmyadmin can do it, but only version 5.1.7 supports it with apps like HeidiSQL.

There was a site some years ago where you could find all and or any book that was ever published(world wide) which had information from computers to freakin' plants even animals, I think it had the words undergoundeducation or undereducation or something like that, can't remember.

my first thought - is what is the objective? to learn the basics of programming using PHP as a language? To learn PHP or anything else in the *AMP stack?

If it is just to get into an environment to learn the beginnings of programming - then I have no problems with them using XAMPP - but if they are trying to learn Apache, MySQL or PHP - then I personally think they need to learn how to install things. To me - anything past a TRUE programming noob should be learning it.

Part of learning a tool - is learning how to install and maintain it. If the person doesn't learn these things - then they are left hi and dry when the tool they used to install it is not available (which in many hosts/environments is highly likely). No to mention the simple fact that it makes them a much more rounded individual/coder.