shepherdweb.com

Every once in a while you come across something that is so cool you don’t know how you ever lived without it. For years I’ve been writing PHP code locally and then FTPing it to a remote server to test as I debugged. I recently discovered a combination of two tools that let me easily run my test server locally and have multiple sites. Apple OS 10.4 by default only allows you one virtual directory usually in user/sites/. Headdress allows you to run multiple sites on your local network! I am using it in tandem with another cool app: MAMP. MAMP easily installs Apache, MySql, PHP, phpMyAdmin, Zend Optimizer, SQLite, curl, jpeg, libpng, gd, and some other cool stuff on your local Apple computer. It is for development only so don’t plan on using it to host a public site. It is also easy to remove and/or upgrade since it installs a separate contained instance of Apache from your system. Simply deleting a directory removes it and does not affect your systems version of Apache.

If you are a php/mysql developer using an Apple computer I recommend the MAMP/Headress combination. These two tools have made my life much easier. They are simple installs, inexpensive (MAMP is free, Headdress is free for up to two sites…$14.99 opens up unlimited sites) and well supported. The team at Headdress has gone way above and beyond to help me debug a scenario that turned out to be my fault and make sure I was happy with their product.