php dev/testing servers

I need a simple "development" server for php, e.g. not apache.

In a modern environment, such as nod开发者_如何学Ce.js, I can run node server.js inside any folder, and it will run as a server running the site specified by server.js. I can then run another node process from a different folder, and the two servers will never interfere or get in each other's way.

Is there a similar setup for php?

With apache, it seems to me that I need to "configure" the server ahead of time; I can't just drop into some folder and serve its content on some arbitrary port.

I want a command that I can use to run a php server from inside some folder, with minimum amount of configuration, for the purpose of being a development/testing only server.

For instance, suppose this server is called sps, then, I should be able to:

cd ~/code/proj1
sps 

Perhaps it could require a simple config file, sps.conf that specifies the port number the server should listen to, plus maybe information about the database connection; but nothing more.

Does such a tool exist for php?

With the current version of PHP (< 5.4), you indeed have to configure a webserver (Apache, nginx, ...) to serve the directory in which you'll have your website -- the directory in which you'll work.

Generally, though, you'll only have a couple of websites, which means you won't have to re-configure your webserver too often.
And if you often have to create / test some small scripts, just create an Apache VirtualHost that points to some tests directory, in which you'll put all your test scripts (I have exactly that on my computer).

With PHP 5.4 (currently in alpha -- so not to be used on a production server just yet ^^), you'll have a built-in web server, which should pretty much answer your question.

try XAMPP Lite version http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html