Prototype with Simple Scripts
Some languages and frameworks, like Ruby on Rails in particular,
offer a means to run commands within the context of
your programming or web environment. This is sort of like a
command-line-plus, where you get all the benefits of a running
web server, logging, your scripts loaded, and even a few
additional bells and whistles.
Unfortunately, PHP isn’t one of those languages. When it comes
to testing out a bit of new functionality, then, your choices
are typically to either just start coding in one of your existing
scripts, or to create a simple script like test.php, and work with
it until you get your functionality figured out.
Although using a simple command-line script can seem like
a bit of a drag compared to a nice CSS-styled web environment,
it’s often the better choice. You can test things and get
your code just right without having to worry about HTML or
interactions across scripts. Then, once you’ve got your code
like you want it, it’s easy to drop into your full-blown web
scripting environment.