XAMPP stands for Cross-Platform (X), Apache (A), MySQL (M), PHP (P) and Perl (P). The XAMPP is a simple, lightweight Apache distribution and it is introduced for developers to create a local web server for testing purposes. Since, XAMPP is also a cross-platform and so that it works equally well on Linux, Mac and Windows.

XAMPP has four primary components. These are:

1. Apache: Apache is an actual web server application that processes and delivers web content to a computer. Apache is the most popular web server online, powering nearly about 55% of all websites.

2. MySQL:  MySQL  is an open source and it is the most popular database management system in the World.

3. PHP: PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is an open source server-side scripting language, and it is very easy to learn, and works perfectly with MySQL.

4. Perl: Perl is a high-level, dynamic programming language. It has been used mostly in network programming, system admin, etc.

The XAMPP can be easily downloaded and installed, but it is now available in three file formats :

• .EXE – Self-executable file
• .7z – 7zip file
• .ZIP – Compressed zip file

You are also permitted to install a smaller ‘XAMPP Portable Lite’ version, which only includes essential Apache, MySQL, PHP and phpMyAdmin components.

Once XAMPP is installed, it is possible to treat a local host like a remote host by connecting using an FTP client. It has many advantages when installing a content management system (CMS) like Joomla or WordPress. It is also possible to connect to local host via FTP with an HTML editor.