How to Compile a PHP File
General-purpose PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a scripting language that was intended for dynamic Web development. PHP code is saved into a PHP file. To run PHP code, you upload the PHP file onto a Web server. No compiling is needed as you would do with other programming languages. However, if you would like to compile a PHP file into an executable program that runs on Windows and Linux-based computers, there are programs that compile PHP code for you.
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Instructions
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Download a PHP compiler, such as PHC or BamBalam PHP EXE Compiler. Both of the programs are open source so they are free to use. There aren't many PHP compilers on the markets because PHP code is generally not compiled, but both of these programs are effective.
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Install the PHP compiler. Double-click on the downloaded file and follow the onscreen instructions to install the program. You may be required to restart the computer once you are installing so the changes can take effect.
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Run the compile. Both compilers use a Unix-type interface, meaning that you will have to type in commands to compile the PHP code.
For PHC, type in "phc -c example.php -o example." The "-c" tells the program you want to compile. The "example.php" is the PHP file you want to compile, so change it to the name of the PHP file on your computer. The last "example" is the name of the EXE file that the PHP file will compile into. Name this whatever you want the file to be called.
For BamBalam, the code to compile is "bamcompile [-options] example.php [output.exe]." Change the "-options" to the options you want included in the compile or leave it out if you don't want any options. (Check the help file in the program folder for a list of options). The "example.php" is the name of the PHP file that you want to compile and "output.exe" is the name of the executable file will be saved as after the PHP file is compiled. Press the "Enter" key on your keyboard after you have typed in the command to run the compile.
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Tips & Warnings
If you use a different PHP compiler, check the program's website or help files for the commands you will need to compile a PHP file. They are usually similar to the commands listed above, with the program's name, options, PHP file to be compiled and the name of the compiled file.
