title: Setting up a development server for mobile applications
body: <p>How does one set up a development server for mobile apps?</p>
  
  <p>In web development developers usually install <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XAMPP" rel="nofollow">XAMPP</a> and then use localhost to communicate with the server and test in a safe environment. This is a free and fast working solution, since it requires very little or no upload time. What is an equivalent for mobile developers on the iOS or Android platform? Some kind of localhost for mobile app developers.</p>
  
  <p>The goal is to develop a backend for a mobile app in a safe and quick environment. Their exact equivalent for web developers is using localhost.</p>
  
  <p>Example: The user registers. Username and password along with an image are sent to the server and stored in the database. The next time the user logs in the server looks up in the database and serves the correct image to the user and logs him/her in.</p>
  
  <p>I am not asking for how to program this or what code to use. I am asking for instructions to a set up developer test environment - a localhost for mobile apps, if such a thing exists.</p>