setting up log in using PHP

[Gale12]

I am trying to set up a log in page (Dw CS5.5) to add a membership list, visible only to logged in members, to my site. On the server behaviors panel, I have successfully completed 1. create a site and 2. choose document type but cannot get 3. set up site's testing server to register. I think I have done everything it is asking for. I am very confused at this point and would love it if someone could lead me through the main steps in setting up a log in page. I have been using WAMP but so far have had no success. I think I must be missing a step.  I am still a rookie using Dw so please keep it as simple as possible. Or - is there a tutorial that would lead me through it? I haven't been able to find one. I want to use  PHP and not ColdFusion.Thanks for any help.

[Gale12]

I guess what I need to know are the large steps (not details) of how to get from working on a simple website (with only html pages), saved to a folder on my desktop, to a website that includes

1. a log in page for new and existing members, and
2. a modifiable members data page that is visible only to logged in members.

I am confused about whether the whole site has to be saved in a different format (among other things ). Do I save the pages to a different location on  my computer to view with the localhost feature? It seems that as I try to set up the log in and the data page, that there are a lot of steps that have to be done in a certain order before I'm able to do that.

As I mentioned in my original post, I want to use PHP.

Help, please... and thank you.

[Gale12 · Accepted solution]

I found a very good tutorial on lynda.com entitled Dreamweaver CS5 and PHP and MySLQ with David Gassner. It answers my questions in a very logical and understandable manner.