PHP

Description #

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used, open-source, server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. It is embedded in HTML and runs on the server, making it ideal for generating dynamic web pages, handling form data, managing sessions, and interacting with databases like MySQL.

History #

PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 as a collection of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts to track visitors to his personal website. Initially called “Personal Home Page Tools,” it evolved into PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor as it gained more functionality.

Milestones in PHP development include:

• PHP/FI (1995) – the first public release
• PHP 3 (1998) – a complete rewrite with wider adoption
• PHP 5 (2004) – introduced object-oriented programming
• PHP 7 (2015) – major performance improvements
• PHP 8+ (2020 onward) – added JIT, union types, named arguments

Today, PHP powers content management systems like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, and remains foundational in web hosting environments worldwide.

Hello World Code #

<?php
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

How to Run #

Using CLI (Command Line Interface): #

1. Save the code in a file named hello.php
2. Run with:

php hello.php

In a Web Server: #

1. Place the file in your server’s root directory (e.g., htdocs for XAMPP or www for WAMP)
2. Start your local server
3. Visit http://localhost/hello.php in your browser

Key Concepts #

<?php ... ?> — PHP code block inside HTML

echo — outputs data to the browser or terminal

Loosely typed — variables can change type

Runs on the server, not the browser

Supports procedural and object-oriented programming

PHP files usually end with .php

Integrates easily with MySQL and MariaDB

Extensive standard library for web functionality

Works with Apache, Nginx, and IIS

Supported by nearly all shared hosting providers

Try It Online #

🔗 PHP Fiddle
🔗 3v4l.org (PHP Sandbox)
🔗 OnlinePHP.io

Fun Facts #

PHP powers over 75% of all websites with a known server-side language

WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS, is built entirely on PHP

PHP is often mocked—but it’s still one of the most-used backend languages

PHP scripts can also generate PDFs, Excel files, and images

The official PHP mascot is an elephant named “elePHPant”

Resources #

PHP Official Manual

Learn-PHP.org (Interactive)

W3Schools PHP Tutorial

PHP The Right Way