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8 Best Localhost Testing Environments For WordPress
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8 Best Localhost Testing Environments For WordPress
Presented By
Black Pearl Matrix
The 8 Best LocalHost Test Environments for WordPress are:
- XAMPP
- MAMP
- WampServer
- Desktop Server
- Duplicator
- Instant WordPress
- Sandbox
- WordPress Bitnami Stack
If you work with the internet, you must have heard about localhost, right? The term refers to “this computer”, i.e. “the user’s home”, whether it is a system or, most often, a computer.
However, localhost is more than a technical term. It serves to test programs, close access to sites and even replicate servers in offline environments, where there are usually fewer computer options to manage sites. Managing, testing and changing WordPress sites is also much easier with localhost.
Before we present the 8 best localhost test environments for WordPress, it is essential to know what it is, what it is for and how to use it according to your needs.
What is Localhost?
It is possible to think of localhost as being “this computer”, but it applies to the program and not necessarily to the computer that the user physically uses.
That is, using your local machine to start a web server on one system and using a remote access program on another simultaneously is possible for the same user. Running these programs would be done on computers other than localhost.
In the example above, the two computers must be defined by their IP addresses. The local machine is defined as localhost and, like any domain on the internet, it will have an address that will depend on the internet protocol (IP) used.
Localhost using IPv4, which is the most common IP, will have a range of 127.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255, but will typically have the address 127.0.0.1. This is considered a “loopback” address, because information sent to it is routed back to the local machine. IPv6 users can establish a loopback by typing “1”.
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It is useful for testing purposes to be able to communicate with the current machine as if it were a remote machine. This is also useful for using resources that are located on the current machine but would expect to be remote.
Localhost, because it defines where a database is located or which server code should run from, is often used in web scripting languages such as PHP and ASP.
Also, it can be a domain name such as “blackpearlmatrix.com” or “google.com”. Like any domain, localhost will have its own Internet Protocol (IP) address.
What is Localhost for?
Being a loopback, localhost serves three main purposes: running speed tests, blocking websites, and testing programs or applications.
Speed tests are the most common use of a localhost. To run a speed test with Windows, simply use a command prompt to see if your connection is experiencing performance issues.
Website blocking is useful to prevent your browser from accessing malicious websites. To do this, you will need to edit the IP addresses that are stored in your DNS to match the loopback address 127.0.0.1 in order to block them. This will cause traffic to be routed back to localhost.
Although it works in a very practical way, using localhost to prevent access to expected websites is not the best solution, since, in case you change your mind, you will have to manually remove the entry as an administrator.
Finally, testing new programs and applications is one of the features of localhost, because whenever a loopback is triggered, your operating system becomes a simulated server.
This makes it possible to upload a program’s files to the server for testing. Localhost also allows loaded mobile apps to access desktop server components or send a request to a specific API.
Ease access
If, on the one hand, remote servers can only be accessed through an internet connection, localhost allows direct access from the machine. And what’s the advantage of that? First of all, if for some reason you don’t have an internet connection, that doesn’t stop you from working offline on your server. Another advantage is the limitation of direct restrictions with the server or with the files of your site.
How to use Localhost?
To know how to use localhost, first, you need to have basic programming knowledge, since this process involves codes and protocols. It is possible to use localhost through tunneling protocols, which are services that provide a “tunnel” from the internet to your computer.
In practice, these protocols provide a publicly accessible URL, watch for calls on that URL, and forward those calls to your localhost – which serves as a local test environment.
Applications like Ngrok, PageKite and Forward allow you to create tunnels, inspect the traffic passing through them and use localhost as a communication channel.
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Localhost and WordPress
Localhost can also be used for developing and testing WordPress sites and for configuring database access. As you noticed, it is common for developers to use localhost as a test environment for clients to check the progress of an application, for example.
With WordPress sites it is no different. Developers use localhost to mimic a “live website” but one that is standalone on the user’s own computer.
And, as the site only exists in that environment, it is easier to carry out tests without fear of something going wrong. When the site is ready and approved, then it is time to migrate WordPress from localhost to live server.
In addition to the test environment, localhost is used to enter or edit the database credentials of a WordPress site manually. This often happens in the wp-config.php file editing step or in plugin development.
Now, Check out 8 Best Localhost WordPress Test Environments
1- XAMPP
XAMPP is probably the most popular all-in-one developer environment platform. This tool allows you to install Apache, PHP, PERL and MySQL all at once. All this in a single installation process, quickly and without complications. XAMPP is available for Linux, Windows, MacOS X and Solaris systems, among others.
2- MAMP
Those who program for the Web always need some obligatory tools. For Windows users, the answer is usually xampp. For Mac users, the tool of choice is MAMP. MAMP offers a simple and easy-to-use interface that appeals to a programming novice and a professional alike.
3- WampServer
WampServer is a WEB development environment (similar to XAMPP) which includes Apache, MySQL and PHP.
Through this software package, any user will be able to set up a complete WEB server, without any additional configuration and without any problems.
4- DesktopServer
A WordPress-specific local development solution.
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5- Duplicator
The popular and free Duplicator plugin lets you clone a WordPress site for use elsewhere. This is especially useful if you want to create an exact copy of your website to use as a presentation medium on your local machine or hosting account.
By creating an exact copy of your website, you can test plugins, themes, and even WordPress updates before making any changes to your website.
Unfortunately, this plugin does not support Multisite.
6- Instant WordPress
This free program has its own built-in Apache web server, along with automatic startup and shutdown for PHP and MySQL.
Instant WordPress is a complete, portable WordPress development environment that turns any Windows computer into a development server. It’s portable enough to run from a USB stick.
7- Sandbox
This free plugin is great for small sites because copying a site can take a while. I’ve tested the plugin on a multi-site install and it works fine, although it does get confusing when using a sandbox version of the site, despite the warning at the top of the page.
The Sandbox plugin creates an exact copy of your WordPress site within your existing hosting account, providing a staging environment completely separate from your site, hidden from visitors and search engines.
8- Bitnami WordPress Stack
Bitnami WordPress Stacks includes an open source application and all the necessary software to run it, such as Apache, MySQL, PHP or Ruby. Simply select the desired deployment format (native installer, virtual machine image, or cloud image) and launch the installation wizard or boot image.
Localhost Advantages
So far we’ve talked about various technical aspects involving a localhost, including the 8 best test environments, but now we’ll talk more directly and succinctly about the main advantages of operating the dedicated server locally.
So see below four main advantages of a localhost:
Now, let’s talk in more detail about how each of these advantages influences the developer’s work and, of course, the final result of your website!
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Time Optimization
Being able to develop the entire site offline is the first and most attractive advantage that this type of work brings.
But why? Simple, for the time optimization that this generates. The time optimization of a localhost is something to consider.
Making any changes online can take a long time, no matter how good your website hosting and internet is.
On a localhost, the registration of information is something quick and the changes happen simultaneously. The result: faster work and fewer headaches at the end of the day.
Speed Tests
The speed of a website is something that directly influences your visits and also your positioning on Google. Two points of great importance for anyone wanting to learn how to have a professional website.
While users don’t worry about waiting for slow sites to load, on the other hand the developer must make sure the site is as fast as possible.
For this, several speed tests must be conducted during the creation of the site and even after it is properly online.
On a localhost it is much simpler to apply these tests, since a simple command can be given from the command prompt to measure the ping.
Expandable Capacity
One of the disadvantages of working with remote servers is the limit they impose on database storage.
But whoever works as a localhost is free of these problems, since he can freely use the machine according to his needs.
Restricted access
Finally, the access restriction that a localhost allows is a security factor that must be taken into account.
A localhost can only allow changes to your site to be made from that IP. That is, only with access to the server in person will it be possible to change the settings of your databases!
That's a lot of effort just for a simple test, don't you think?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some way to skip the whole number and cell phone network thing? What if, instead, you could just punch a name like “this phone” and it worked, as if you called your number and it was forwarded normally?
That’s the general idea behind localhost.
A long time ago, programmers and network developers realized that it would be convenient for their programs to be closely tested and verified, instead of having everything on the Internet, whenever they wanted to test something they were working on.
So they came up with a solution and a term: localhost.
When IT people are in their computer’s test and boot programs and they type in the word “localhost”, it’s a substitute for something else: your computer’s IP address (more specifically, “this computer”).
Not just a name, but also a number.
Don’t let this confuse you. It’s not much different than typing Disney.com or Amazon.com into your browser’s address bar. Each website has its own IP address, but substitutes a “domain name” instead.
Thus, when an IT person is performing tests and is “telling” an application to connect to the Internet, he will write “localhost” in the destination.
In other words, it can pretend to be connected to a web server or another host computer, but it’s keeping it in-house and close to home using localhost.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About LocalHost Staging Environments for WordPress
1. What is localhost for?
2. In which languages is localhost most used?
3. What is the use of localhost?
4. How was localhost created?
Conclusion
Localhost is an excellent solution for those who want to manage more resources, conduct tests and even take advantage of creating a blog.
The tools are free, easy to use and very efficient in creating WordPress environments on local servers. You can develop a test site to try out different theme, plugin and design options, and you can safely troubleshoot WordPress errors and performance issues, no matter what operating system you use.
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