Installing PHP to run as a module on Apache Server 2

[paragliding]

Happy New Year helpful person!

I am teaching myself PHP from a book called PHP Essentials.
I want to be able to try out the examples in the book. I am starting from ZERO. I have managed to download Apache and am now struggling with the PHP download, which according to the book, is: "so simple that it makes me giddy".

I think I need to install PHP to run as a module on Apache Server rather than CGI (although I really don't know what this means yet)

I've extracted what I think are the relevant files

PHP 4.3.10 zip package?

and found a .exe file but here I come unstuck. There is a missing dll file (I didn't write it down SORRY)
I've looked through

http://www.php.net/manual/en/install.windows.php

but this just confused me further.
Is there a straightforward way to do this that can be followed by someone who is new to PHP?

Thanks in advance

 

[OOP]

Try xampp, it'll install PHP + apache + MySQL. Its easy to install and does'nt change your system's registry.

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html

 

[jessengel]

i may suggest that you should install 4.3.9 php or any other stabil version. My opionion of apache is, that apache is confusing for newbies. So my advise is that you install php with IIS . And work as you would do normally .