Why does start command in cmd windows10 put another start in the newly opened window with php?

Question

What I was trying to do is, I want to run a local php server and then open http://localhost:8000 in chrome. I made a bat file in my windows 10 OS for this. Here's my first attempt:

php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox 
http://localhost:8000

The problem with this was after the first line is executed the cmd get stuck in a loop of listening to the server and the second line never gets execute. Plus, I don't want to open localhost webpage first because it keep showing the error for a few secs untill php does it's thing. Now the solution I found was the following bat file:

start php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox 
start http://localhost:8000

This does the job, but I saw a weird behaviour. I expected the first line to open a new cmd window and execute php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox, but what it does is, it opens a new cmd window and executes this start php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox. This opens php's own shell(which has a php logo) and then goes on to execute -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox in that new console.

1. If I do start php in cmd, it opens the php shell. Then, if I go -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox inside that php shell, it doesn't open local server, why?

2. When I run the bat file why doesn't start opens a new cmd window and puts php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox and keep the cmd window? Instead why does it put start php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox in that new cmd window, exits and opens php shell?

3. Is there any way to keep the server running in cmd window and then somehow open the localhost webpage?

Answer 1

Maybe use 1st in backgound?

start "" /b

---

@echo off

rem :: use cd /d path to php

cd /d "c:\php"
start "" /b php -S localhost:8000 -t C:\User\Projects\Sandbox 
start "" http://localhost:8000

Take a look here about multi session in php