php scripts not working in xampp + browser shows no error messages
I cannot get any php script to run using xampp. I'm trying to input form data via Firefox and then connect into my database, created using phpmyadmin, to insert the data into a table.
Because in ancient times I used to work with dbIII+, I used the Shell/CLI (accessed via XAMPP Control Panel) to successfully CREATE a database with 1 simple table and INSERTed 3 records. By the way, I did this after logging in to a USER I had created earlier.
However when I took a step up to using an html + php file to do the same job, no new records get INSERTed. The very simple html file runs correctly but the php produces a blank browser screen. The php should be echoing messages like connected, not connected, successfully inserted etc as these exist in the php coding.
In case you think I have made a Schoolboy error the approach I used was to copy and paste code from good sources e.g. W3, Tutorial Republic, SQL Documentation etc which I then customised with my user name, password, column names, database and table name etc. I also experimented with Youtube suggestions e.g. see mmtuts. And I tried my own creation too.
I do understand there are 3 alternative API's/php Connectors viz. mysql (deprecated), mysqli (procedural) and PDO (object oriented). I'm sticking to the mysqli style.
In my simplistic logic I suspect there is a problem with the XAMPP installation BUT I did install it with UAC switched off in the Registry and XAMPP is letting me create Websites without any problems at all.
As I'm in the early learner phase any help pitched at that level would be very much appreciated.