How do I test my Apache configuration without restarting apache?

To test the configuration of your Apache server without restarting the server,is as easy as using the 'configtest' option with Apache's startup script.
This will allow you to make sure the server will actually start after you havemade your changes.

[root@plesk root]# /etc/init.d/httpd configtest
[Mon Nov 14 22:14:44 2005] [warn] module php4_module is already loaded, skipping
Syntax OK
[root@plesk root]#

root@demo [~]# /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl configtest
[Mon Nov 14 22:12:57 2005] [warn] NameVirtualHost 10.0.0.2:80 has no VirtualHosts
Syntax OK
root@demo [~]#