Apache working but unable to use php

[gjaurequi]

I installed xampp and I am able to see my html files when I go to http://localhost - no problem My problem is that when I try to use phpinfo(); I do not see anything about php on the browser; all I see is the html material I have input. Also, when I use the sample code given to us from xampp, such as the CD collection, or phone book, all I see is some broken looking code in the browser (i.e. it looks like I again am getting the html processed, but the computer is not recognizing the php)

Do I need to configure for php (or get apache to recognize the php version that came with xampp?) If so, what are the configurations I need to do?

I really appreciate any help you can offer.

Greg J.