php.ini Guide: Introduction

Posted in PHP, October 24, 2004 | One comment

The php.ini file is the one that controls PHP's settings. It allows you to run a server with minimum capabilities for PHP, can prevent PHP from showing errors to users, and can even set the default colours for code highlighting.

The php.ini file comes with all installations of PHP. The default file, php.ini-dist is the standard one used by most servers. The php.ini-recommended file is similar, but has "better" settings and should be used by servers as a starting point for setting up PHP, as its security settings are better.

This php.ini guide runs through all of the major settings in PHP, explaining what they do and what values are allowed within them. Some of these settings do not appear in all versions of PHP, and some will be overridden by other settings, for example within Apache.

One thing to bear in mind when editting your php.ini file is that all directives are case sensitive. "asp_tags" is different to "ASP_TAGS".

Semi-colons appear all the way through the php.ini file. Anything on a line following a semi-colon is assumed to be a comment and ignored. Often, to turn a feature on, you will only need to delete a semi-colon from the php.ini file.

When editting your php.ini file, always make a backup before you do so. Seriously. If you don't you might cause yourself hours of extra work, and it just isn't worth the risk.

Usually, you will also need to restart your server before any changes you make will take effect.

Finally, please note that the php.ini file is very large, and this guide is being written over several weeks. I am making each section available as it is completed, and hope to have the whole guide finished by ~~Christmas~~ ~~Summer~~ the year 2514. If you spot any errors, or would like to add any comments directly to an item, please email me.