Serve PHP files from the command line in Windows

Here is one way to run PHP applications from the command line (either cmd or PowerShell) in Windows without requiring IIS.

Download PHP Download the VC15 x64 Non Thread Safe (2019-Dec-17 23:16:05) ZIP file from https://windows.php.net/download/

Install PHP Unblock the ZIP file (via its properties), extract it to C:/php, and add C:/php to the PATH.

Install Visual C++ x64 Download the installer from https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads

Run the built-in PHP server Navigate to the directory that has the PHP application and run the built-in server.

PS cd C:\myPhpApp
PS C:\myPhpApp> php -S localhost:8000                                              
[Fri Jan 10 11:46:58 2020] PHP 7.4.1 Development Server (http://localhost:8000) started

The application is now available in the browser at http://localhost:8000