PHP is a server-side programming language that can be used to build websites, applications, customer relationship management systems and more. It is a widely used general-purpose language that can be embedded in HTML. As PHP simplifies HTML code, it has become popular with developers due to its functionality with HTML.
A PHP website can be dynamic and interactive using PHP programming language. PHP is used as the scripting language in WordPress. PHP is also an open source program, just like WordPress. Your web hosting server runs PHP as a server side language. Your website’s browser contacts your server whenever someone visits your site. PHP code runs on the server and generates an HTML page for the visitor to see. The HTML page is then displayed in the visitor’s browser. Because the PHP script is only on the hosting server, they cannot see it.
PHP – what is it?
PHP is a server-side scripting language that is object-oriented and open-source. It is used to create static websites, dynamic websites, and web applications. You need to install PHP on a localhost or web host in order to run a PHP program. PHP scripts can only be edited on servers that have PHP installed. It is only necessary to use a web browser to access the PHP script.
PHP files contain PHP tags and end with .php extensions. It was developed by Rasmus Lerdorf. The acronym PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. It is the world’s most popular server-side programming language. It’s the latest version, PHP 8.2.8, released on July 4th, 2023.
Server-side scripting language PHP is integrated into HTML. Cross-platform PHP runs on most major operating systems, including Apache, IIS, lighttpd, and nginx, as well as most web server software. The PEAR and Composer package management systems provide a large amount of reusable classes and libraries. PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository) is a reusable PHP library distribution system. A dependency management tool for PHP is known as Composer.
Why PHP is a good choice
PHP, like any other scripting language, is used to connect to your database and get information which is then sent to your web server for display in HTML. However, PHP has many unique characteristics that make it stand out from other programming languages. PHP is
- A scripting language is one that is interpreted by another program at runtime (no compilation is required). Client-side (in the browser) or server-side (on the server) scripting languages can be interpreted.
- It is a server-side scripting language that is processed by a PHP interpreter and the result (the output) is sent directly to the web browser.
- PHP is open-source software that is freely available for download.
- The Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) approach is based on the concept of “objects” that contain data and functions for creating more complex and reusable web applications. PHP5 added OOP.
- Fast: PHP uses its memory efficiently, which reduces the server’s workload and maximizes performance. A PHP script can run up to 382% faster than a Python script, and 195% faster than a Ruby script.
- It’s easy to learn PHP syntax, no matter whether you’re building from scratch or using existing frameworks.
- PHP supports all popular databases (MySQL, SQLite, ODBC) and compatibility with most servers (Apache, IIS). With a wide variety of well-stocked and vetted libraries as well as portability across all platforms (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.), it can easily be integrated with PHP frameworks (Laravel, CodeIgniter, Symfony).
The PHP language is a loosely-typed language that uses eight data types for variables (which store data of varying types). PHP is more relaxed than other programming languages when it comes to variables, evaluating and guessing data types. To begin, all variables have a dollar sign ($), but they can be named anything that begins with a letter.
PHP: Who Uses It
There are a number of companies and tech giants that use PHP to run their servers and make a lot of amazing things with it.
Facebook uses PHP to power its website. A PHP implementation known as Hip Hop for PHP was created in return by the company to contribute to the community.
PHP is used to build Wikipedia: one of the largest sources of information on any topic in the world.
CMS: WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS, is written in PHP. PHP is also used in other content management systems, including Drupal, Joomla, and Magento. PHP is also used by Shopify.
PHP is used by most Web Hosting Platforms such as BlueHost, Siteground, and Whogohost.
Do You Know How to Start Programming in PHP?
PHP is a beginner-friendly programming language with a simple syntax and easy-to-learn command functions. To start using PHP, you must be familiar with HTML, as well as server-side and client-side programming languages. Open-source PHP, powerful database support, and the ability to run on a variety of servers alongside Windows, Unix, Linux, and Mac OS systems make it accessible and easy to learn.
Final Thoughts
The PHP language is a true powerhouse in the web development world. Among its many applications and capabilities are server-side scripting, email handling, and rendering PHP pages on web servers in addition to automating system administration tasks. Also, PHP is excellent for building content management systems such as WordPress and Drupal, which are among the most popular today.