html/php debugging

Question

I am starting a website, thus I'm learning how to program in html/css/php. For other languages I have learnt so far, there has always been an IDE or interactive console that I can type in codes directly to see how they works, access variable types etc., which makes learning and debugging a breeze. (E.g. bash, python, matlab, perl, tcl...)

Can I do the same for html and php? In the spirit stackoverflow's questions style, lemme try to make the questions a little more specific.

I know I can use php interactively on a terminal. But that is insufficient if I want to see how it works in a html script. Is there a browser/IDE with a console where I can input commands interactively and see the results?

Answer 1

For PHP:

1. I'd suggest to use Xdebug.
2. Read through this article: Debugging techniques for PHP programmers.
3. Note about debugging production.

For your markup:

1. Read Firebug-like debugger for Google Chrome.
2. Also, you might try Web Developer extension.