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Technology & Computing

Hypertext Preprocessor

(PHP)

Hypertext Preprocessor

Description

What is PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor? A Simple Guide to Learning PHP

If you've ever been to a website where you could log in, fill out a form, or see content change in real time (like blog posts or shopping carts), you've probably used a PHP-powered site.

PHP is short for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is one of the most popular server-side scripting languages for web development.

We'll tell you what PHP is, how it works, and why it's so important for making modern websites in this article.

What is PHP?

PHP is a server-side scripting language that lets you make websites that are dynamic and interactive.

Let's look at that in more detail:

  • Server-side means that the code runs on the web server instead of in your browser.
  • A scripting language is one that is used to automate tasks and make content.
  • Dynamic websites are pages that change based on what the user does, what is in the database, or the time.

PHP is able to:

  • Show different content to different people.
  • Connect to databases.
  • Take care of form submissions.
  • Manage user sessions, such as logins.
  • Make HTML on the fly.

What is the meaning of "Hypertext Preprocessor"?

PHP used to stand for "Personal Home Page," but as it got stronger, the name changed to PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. This is an example of a recursive acronym, which means that the first letter stands for the acronym itself.

"Hypertext" means web pages that are written in HTML. "Preprocessor" means that PHP runs before the HTML is sent to your browser.

So when someone goes to a PHP page:

  • The PHP code runs on the web server.
  • It makes the last HTML page.
  • The user's browser gets that page.
  • The user only sees the output, not the PHP code.

What is PHP capable of?

Here are some real-life things that PHP can do:

  • Make systems for logging in, like forms for usernames and passwords
  • Put blog posts in a database and get them back
  • Make contact forms that send emails
  • Make e-commerce features like shopping carts and pages for checking out
  • Show content based on the time or the user's information
  • Put files on the server and take care of them

In short, PHP gives your website brains, so it's more than just text and pictures that don't change.

A Simple Example of How PHP Works

This is what happens when someone goes to that page:

  • The PHP code is read by the server.
  • It uses the date("l") function to get the current day, like "Monday."
  • It adds the words "Hello, today is" to it.
  • It sends the whole sentence to the browser, like "Hello, today is Monday."
  • The browser only sees the end result, not the PHP code.

Why Use PHP?

PHP has been popular for a long time because it has a lot of great features:

  • Simple for beginners to learn
  • Works on most servers, like Linux, Windows, Apache, and Nginx
  • Works well with databases like MySQL
  • A lot of tutorials and a big community to help you
  • Open source and free
  • WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal are some of the most popular platforms

PHP is a strong and flexible choice for making anything from a small personal website to a large business application.

Where to Use PHP

You might be surprised to learn that PHP is used to build a lot of big websites, such as:

  • Facebook (old versions)
  • Wikipedia
  • WordPress.com
  • Mailchimp
  • The backend services of Slack
  • Millions of small websites, blogs, online stores, and internal company tools also use it

PHP's Limits

PHP is a powerful language, but it does have some problems:

  • Not as fast as some newer backend languages, like Go or Node.js
  • If you don't write it well, the code can get messy
  • Security problems if developers don't do things the right way

PHP can still be safe, fast, and easy to maintain if you use the right tools and write good code.

The Future of PHP

Even though new technologies are becoming more popular, PHP is still going strong. Newer versions of PHP, like PHP 8.x, are faster, safer, and have new features like object-oriented programming, type declarations, and better error handling.

PHP is still the main part of WordPress, which runs more than 40% of all websites. This means that PHP's future is bright.

Last Thoughts

PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a powerful scripting language that runs behind the scenes on many of the websites you use every day. It makes web pages smart, interactive, and easy to use.

PHP gives you the tools you need to make your website come to life, whether you're making a simple contact form or a full-featured web app.

Learning PHP is a great way to learn how the web really works if you're new to web development. It will also open up many fun projects for you.