Software to allow Local testing of a website code while monitoring activity

[questorfla]

This is a tool that I once had years ago but cannot find now.  It was not much more than a "web-host in a box" kind of thing that supported php and mysql and it was small enough to run from a flash-drive (and back then flash drives were pretty small  . 

I am trying to trace the links from a users click on an object through each step as the item clicked on is added to a download queue.  We are looking for the correct location to insert the necessary code for it to display on-site using Flex-paper or similar and keep getting something wrong in the sequencing (at least on Chrome IE 11 is a little better).  It has to work for all browsers so I am trying to find a way to test each step locally rather than having to load the whole thing on a full Web Server.

The setup I had was maybe 5 years ago though and may not even be relevant any more.  But it would allow you to run the site on a split-screen and watch the various components as they operated in real-time and made it easy to locate all the specific modules in action when any activity was performed on the site such as mouse clicks on specific items etc.  I must be asking for it in the wrong way because i cannot get Google to come up with anything similar.  The one I had was based on a version of WAMP or XAMPP to get the site up but the part that displayed the "code-in-action" i have no idea what it was called.

If anyone happens to know of it or know of something similar, i would rather not have to build a VM just to run a small portion of a website locally for testing. 

[4wd]

USBWebServer

[Shades]

XAMMP is my favorite tool for creating a quick environment to work on websites locally without VM. Perhaps Karma or HTTP Monitor (in combination with Firebug) are modern day equivalent tools to help out with with the other part of your request?

With Karma, I'm afraid you will need a VM. Creating a VM based on Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS that is configured as a LAMP server isn't difficult, won't take long and doesn't take up much space in either RAM or hard disk storage. With such a VM you can quickly add Karma to it and start working, because Karma isn't available for Windows.

I think you mean a tool like DOM Inspector or DOM Explorer is what you are looking for.

[questorfla]

Thanks to you both! 
4WD, that may very well be the exact Flash-drive Website setup in the Newest Version.  The write-up sounds exactly like it!  As best as I can remember it was on some site like Geeks-R-Us or ?? It was 5 years ago i think but this one looks perfect for the task.

And Shades' program suggestions may also be right on the Mark.  The thing was, back then, I was only dabbling in HTML web-code with no added confusion of PHP and MySQL.  I and a helper have found several way to setup a PDF viewer using straight HTML but when we try to use the native PHP routines which handle the requests for the documents, it seems to fall off the tracks somewhere.

Flex Paper looked like a good and affordable solution to the problem but contacting their Support Department has been a challenge so far.  If it were not for Chrome being the Party Spoiler, IE11 already handles the PDF's in a viewer and so does Edge.  But Chrome is probably 20% of the Browser market so I can't ignore that.  Besides, using a well-written Hosted Viewer  would allow me to add all the "page-flips" and other toys. .

As for KARMA and HTTP MONITOR, (EVEN the DOM in IE11)  you may well be right that it was something built into the developer tools  such as a Tech Net Package. I should check there.  Thanks for the tips.

[Stoic Joker]

While not quite what you're asking for, I have found the (free) Fiddler Web Debugger to be quite handy for this type of thing.

[MilesAhead]

Not portable, but small, simple and still out there as freeware is AnalogX Simple Server

It does claim PHP support but I am not sure how recent it is.
I think the last update for most AnalogX utilities is Vista/W7 era.

[questorfla]

Again, I Thank you Both.
I always know who I am going to get the most replies from .

If I could only find a way to add another 8 hours to every day ... THAT would be a fantastic tool!
Plus the person i had found who knew enough about websites (Or I thought he did?) seems to have vanished.
So I am back to throwing ideas against a brick wall.  Since they are all in my head, i am getting a headache!

I will add both of these to my arsenal and keep plugging away

[MilesAhead]

So I am back to throwing ideas against a brick wall.  Since they are all in my head, i am getting a headache!

-questorfla (April 05, 2016, 04:24 PM)

It feels so good when you stop.  At least you have that to look forward to. 

[wraith808]

While not quite what you're asking for, I have found the (free) Fiddler Web Debugger to be quite handy for this type of thing.

-Stoic Joker (April 05, 2016, 06:52 AM)

And something that I've started using instead of fiddler is postman.

[Stoic Joker]

While not quite what you're asking for, I have found the (free) Fiddler Web Debugger to be quite handy for this type of thing.

-Stoic Joker (April 05, 2016, 06:52 AM)

And something that I've started using instead of fiddler is postman.

-wraith808 (April 05, 2016, 06:49 PM)

Interesting, I can see where that would be better for developing/tweaking your own code (which questorfla is doing). My purpose for Fiddler is generally - for ethical hacking - to find out what someone else's code is doing when things go awry.

[MilesAhead]

I do not know if it is a debugging tool per se, but yet another self-contained personal web server:
http://www.snapfiles...om/get/abyssweb.html