How To Run PHP From Windows Command Line in WAMPServer

Question

I'm new to php and wanted to run php from command line. I have installed WAMP and set the "System Variables" to my php folder ( which is C:\wamp\bin\php\php5.4.3).

When i go to Run -> CMD -> Type php -a and hit enter, it says interactive mode enabled. But when I write echo 'Hi'; it shows nothing.

I even don't see anything like 'php >" when i type php -a and hit enter.

Answer 1

The PHP CLI as its called ( php for the Command Line Interface ) is called php.exe It lives in c:\wamp\bin\php\php5.x.y\php.exe ( where x and y are the version numbers of php that you have installed )

If you want to create php scrips to run from the command line then great its easy and very useful.

Create yourself a batch file like this, lets call it phppath.cmd :

PATH=%PATH%;c:\wamp\bin\php\phpx.y.z php -v 

Change x.y.z to a valid folder name for a version of PHP that you have installed within WAMPServer

Save this into one of your folders that is already on your PATH, so you can run it from anywhere.

Now from a command window, cd into your source folder and run >phppath.

Then run

php your_script.php

It should work like a dream.

Here is an example that configures PHP Composer and PEAR if required and they exist

@echo off  REM ************************************************************** REM * PLACE This file in a folder that is already on your PATH REM * Or just put it in your C:\Windows folder as that is on the REM * Search path by default REM * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REM * EDIT THE NEXT 3 Parameters to fit your installed WAMPServer REM **************************************************************   set baseWamp=D:\wamp set defaultPHPver=7.4.3 set composerInstalled=%baseWamp%\composer set phpFolder=\bin\php\php  if %1.==. (     set phpver=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%defaultPHPver% ) else (     set phpver=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%1 )  PATH=%PATH%;%phpver% php -v echo ---------------------------------------------------------------   REM IF PEAR IS INSTALLED IN THIS VERSION OF PHP  IF exist %phpver%\pear (     set PHP_PEAR_SYSCONF_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%     set PHP_PEAR_INSTALL_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%\pear     set PHP_PEAR_DOC_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%\docs     set PHP_PEAR_BIN_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%     set PHP_PEAR_DATA_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%\data     set PHP_PEAR_PHP_BIN=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%\php.exe     set PHP_PEAR_TEST_DIR=%baseWamp%%phpFolder%%phpver%\tests      echo PEAR INCLUDED IN THIS CONFIG     echo --------------------------------------------------------------- ) else (     echo PEAR DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS VERSION OF php     echo --------------------------------------------------------------- )  REM IF A GLOBAL COMPOSER EXISTS ADD THAT TOO REM ************************************************************** REM * IF A GLOBAL COMPOSER EXISTS ADD THAT TOO REM * REM * This assumes that composer is installed in /wamp/composer REM * REM ************************************************************** IF EXIST %composerInstalled% (     ECHO COMPOSER INCLUDED IN THIS CONFIG     echo ---------------------------------------------------------------     set COMPOSER_HOME=%baseWamp%\composer     set COMPOSER_CACHE_DIR=%baseWamp%\composer      PATH=%PATH%;%baseWamp%\composer      rem echo TO UPDATE COMPOSER do > composer self-update     echo --------------------------------------------------------------- ) else (     echo ---------------------------------------------------------------     echo COMPOSER IS NOT INSTALLED     echo --------------------------------------------------------------- )  set baseWamp= set defaultPHPver= set composerInstalled= set phpFolder= set phpver= set phpFolder= 

Call this command file like this to use the default version of PHP

> phppath 

Or to get a specific version of PHP like this

> phppath 5.6.30 

Answer 2

I remember one time when I stumbled upon this issue a few years ago, it's because windows don't have readline, therefore no interactive shell, to use php interactive mode without readline support, you can do this instead:

C:\>php -a  Interactive mode enabled   <?php  echo "Hello, world!";  ?>  ^Z  Hello, world! 

After entering interactive mode, type using opening (<?php) and closing (?>) php tag, and end with control Z (^Z) which denotes the end of file.

I also recall that I found the solution from php's site user comment: http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.commandline.interactive.php#105729