With WordPress it always seems like there is a ton of stuff I intend to do, and very little I actually get around to doing. Some examples:
- Running WordPress on a sub domain
- Backing up my database
- Utilizing social sharing plugins
- Downloading WordPress on my computer for offline development and experimentation
The problem is that accomplishing much beyond the basics in WordPress takes some figuring out if you are not a PHP whiz. I never have time to dig into this stuff. Fortunately, I was able to cross that last item off my list due to a surprisingly useful tool from Microsoft.
The Microsoft Web Platform Installer lets you download Web apps, while setting up a Web server and all the dependencies for you. For instance, last night I downloaded WordPress from www.microsoft.com/web/gallery. The Web Platform Installer automatically installed MySQL and PHP, set up a database, and set up a web server so that WordPress works on my computer exactly like it would on the Web. There are many other apps to choose from too. It has been a while since Microsoft has done something I liked, especially for the Web, but this tool is worth checking out. Best of all, it’s free!