I want to learn PHP and am told that I really need a web server to learn the core functionality, but I'm a windows user. What should I use? I looked at Apache as I heard that it was a free web server but there seemed to be hundreds of versions and no clear documentation for a noob...

If you have Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 there is Internet Information Services (IIS) that is available and can be added. To install IIS, add optional components, or remove optional components

1.Click Start, click Control Panel, and click Add or Remove Programs.

2.Click Add/Remove Windows Components. The Windows Components Wizard appears.

3.Follow the on-screen instructions to install, remove, or add components to IIS.

Or if you have another version of windows (like Home edition) there is always the apache route.

http://apache.osuosl.org/httpd/binaries/...

That link above is the apache windows setup wizard.

The following link is the php installer (which will be installed AFTER you have your web server up and running)

http://www.php.net/get/php-5.2.4-win32-i...

Here is the Apache documentation if you choose to go that route http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/platfor...

You will also need MySQL if you go the PHP route regardless of using IIS or Apache.

http://dev.mysql.com/get/Downloads/MySQL...