Dreamweaver 2017 PHP versions issues.

[limakid2015]

Hello,

My hosting server (according to my hosting plan hired) supports PHP up to the version 3.3. I want to set up a local server in the Dreamweaver 2017, so I downloaded the XAMPP which worked very good for me last years. But I see that XAMPP works with the PHP version 7, and my hosting server supports only until 3.3 version. Is this really a problem?

Any body using Xampp? Should I find somewehere lower versions of the PHP to be "compatible" with my (remote) hosting server? Also, MAMP is coming with PHP 7 and has the option to use PHP 5.6, which is still higher than the 3.3 supported by my lovely hosting server.

So, what kind or brand of local server application could I use? is possible to downgrade the PHP version of XAMPP?

Thanks a lot for your patience. I use OS El Capitan v. 10.11.5

Regards.

[BenPleysier]

PhP 3 is an fossil having been first released in 1998. This does not say much for your host and I doubt that XAMPP would want to bother with turning the clock back.

My advice, change hosts to one that has PHP 7 and install the same version on your local system.

[limakid2015]

Sorry, the version supported by my provided is 5.3 and they offer me support for the latest PHP if I migrate to VPS plan which is more expensive. My current hosting plan is the cheapest one (Apache, MySQL, PHP). Thank U for your reasonable answer.

[osgood_]

limakid2015  wrote

Sorry, the version supported by my provided is 5.3 and they offer me support for the latest PHP if I migrate to VPS plan which is more expensive. My current hosting plan is the cheapest one (Apache, MySQL, PHP). Thank U for your reasonable answer.

Depends if you really want to upgrade to php v7. Do you have any reason to? If your current websites use mysql to connect to your database then you certainly don't unless you intend to update the coding to mysqli or PDO. Only reason to update to v7, is if the host is dropping security support for lesser versions or it's a fresh hosting plan you are buying into.

All I would advise is if your host offers v7 and it's a new hosting plan and you don't use mysql then its advisable to use v7, why not.

I like my host too much so at the moment I'm still happy to buy into 5.3 or 5.4. All my coding now uses mysqli which works with any version of php. I think 5.3, 5.4 and 5.6 are going to be around for some time as many sites still use mysql so unless you need to take advantage of a few newer php functions its  a case of stick with who you know best of find another hosting company if your desperate to move up to 7.

My hosting company is very small so maybe that plays a part in them getting up to speed but I've always found them to be very receptive when I need help. No ticket or any stuff like waiting on the telephone listening to music for hours on end, you just phone and normally speak to the same small team. I guess it could come back and bite me in the bum at some stage but you cant account for everything that may or may not happen in the future.

[BenPleysier]

PHP 5.3 has been end-of-lifed since August 2014. PHP 5.6 will be supported until the end of next year. See PHP: Supported Versions

If you do not want to go through the same problem in a couple of years, you are best off with PHP 7

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

PHP 5.3 has been end-of-lifed since August 2014. PHP 5.6 will be supported until the end of next year. See PHP: Supported Versions

If you do not want to go through the same problem in a couple of years, you are best off with PHP 7

Shocking really, nearly 50% of all websites running php are still using 5.3 or 5.4. Unsupported versions.

Difficult decison really by the host as if they went directly to v7 from v5.3/4 they would break a lot of their customers websites still using mysql and that isnt going to change any time soon. They really should be switching over to minimum 5.6 as default. I dont know what's involved for a host to do that sort of change over.

[BenPleysier · Accepted solution]

osgood_ wrote
Shocking really, nearly 50% of all websites running php are still using 5.3 or 5.4. Unsupported versions.

I'd love to know where you got that wisdom.

The facts are:

With a boost of PHP 7.1 installs, PHP 7 overall now represents 53.6%, PHP 7.0 36% and PHP 7.1 17.6%. PHP 5.3/5.4 are really tiny and even 5.5, at the moment at 10.6%, is dropping significantly which is good as it is not maintained anymore since the last northern summer. PHP 5.6 is still used in 31.3% of PHP sites.

Your answer is surprising when you advocate the use of latest technologies, yet technologies that ensure the best security for your site are ignored.

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

osgood_  wrote
Shocking really, nearly 50% of all websites running php are still using 5.3 or 5.4. Unsupported versions.

I'd love to know where you got that wisdom.

Dropped onto some rather old facts....thats the web for you....it documents outdated facts and figures. After a bit more research I landed on the page where you lifted that information from. Thats even more alarming that my host only offers 5.4 as default 'IF' those stats are correct.

As said in my previous post there's no real reason for any host not to have upgraded to 5.6 by now, as minimum.

EDITED:

Then again this site which is dated 9th July 2017 says something different regarding php usage - its says .3 and .4 account for 45%:

https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_details/pl-php/5

BenPleysier  wrote

Your answer is surprising when you advocate the use of latest technologies, yet technologies that ensure the best security for your site are ignored.

Not sure how using the latest technologies are linked? What technologies, that I currently use and have mentioned are you talking about in relationship to this discussion?

[BenPleysier]

Thanks for sharing your excuse. An apology for sharing the wrong info and for not mentioning security would have served better.

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

Thanks for sharing your excuse. An apology for sharing the wrong info and for not mentioning security would have served better.

Not an excuse, a mistake, those are very different but I'll make allowances in your case for wanting to think differently in an attempt to provoke aggression, which you always deny you are the instigator of.

A simple 'I think you have made a mistake'  would have served better if you want to remain genuine to the words you utter.

In terms of security, everything is vulnerable, supported or unsupported. It seems at the moment a large percentage are choosing to ignore or don't even know about it rather than risk upgrading and maybe having to deal with minor conflicts,  which could take hours to solve. Thats a personal choice. Ignore security risks and all could go pear shapes or not. I seem to remember you chose to ignore 'security' risks when told smoking can damage your health.

[IFireflyl]

"Then again this site which is dated 9th July 2017 says something different regarding php usage - its says .3 and .4 account for 45%:

https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_details/pl-php/5"

I know this thread is over two years old at this point, but looking through this debate I can't help but find it funny that you linked an article "proving your point", and you didn't seem to realize that article is ONLY looking at PHP v5.x. It was saying that 5.3 and 5.4 account for 45% of 5.x versions, not of all PHP versions (including 7.x).

[osgood_]

Probably should not be using any version of php less than 5.6 these days. I say that but my provider is still stuck on 5.3 or 5.4, I forget which, but 3.3 that sounds just too far behind?

[limakid2015]

My provider offers me support for PHP 7 if I migrate to a higher price plan, VPS. Actually,, with my plan they just support PHP 5.3. Sorry if I mentioned version 3.

[Paul-M]

In an ideal world you should get your website/web application runing on PHP 7 -  amongst the advantages are  a significant performance/speed improvement. I'm assuming you are also still using the old MySQL extension for database connection too? ... Again in an ideal world you need to move to MySQLi.