UNIT - 4

PHP BASICS
What is PHP
PHP is an open-source, interpreted, and object-oriented scripting language
that can be executed at the server-side. PHP is well suited for web
development. Therefore, it is used to develop web applications (an application
that executes on the server and generates the dynamic page.).

Some important points need to be noticed about PHP are as followed:

o PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor.

o PHP is an interpreted language, i.e., there is no need for compilation.
o PHP is faster than other scripting languages, for example, ASP and JSP.
o PHP is a server-side scripting language, which is used to manage the
dynamic content of the website.
o PHP can be embedded into HTML.
o PHP is an object-oriented language.
o PHP is an open-source scripting language.
o PHP is simple and easy to learn language.

o It can access cookies variable and also set cookies.

o It helps to encrypt the data and apply validation.
o PHP supports several protocols such as HTTP, POP3, SNMP, LDAP,
IMAP, and many more.
o As PHP is easy to install and set up, this is the main reason why PHP is
the best language to learn.
o PHP can handle the forms, such as - collect the data from users using
forms, save it into the database, and return useful information to the
user. For example - Registration form.

PHP Features
PHP is very popular language because of its simplicity and open source. There
are some important features of PHP given below:

Performance:

PHP script is executed much faster than those scripts which are written in
other languages such as JSP and ASP. PHP uses its own memory, so the server
workload and loading time is automatically reduced, which results in faster
processing speed and better performance.

Open Source:

PHP source code and software are freely available on the web. You can
develop all the versions of PHP according to your requirement without paying
any cost. All its components are free to download and use.

Familiarity with syntax:

PHP has easily understandable syntax. Programmers are comfortable coding

with it.

Embedded:

PHP code can be easily embedded within HTML tags and script.

Platform Independent:
PHP is available for WINDOWS, MAC, LINUX & UNIX operating system. A PHP
application developed in one OS can be easily executed in other OS also.

Database Support:

PHP supports all the leading databases such as MySQL, SQLite, ODBC, etc.

Error Reporting -

PHP has predefined error reporting constants to generate an error notice or

warning at runtime. E.g., E_ERROR, E_WARNING, E_STRICT, E_PARSE.

Loosely Typed Language:

PHP allows us to use a variable without declaring its datatype. It will be taken
automatically at the time of execution based on the type of data it contains on
its value.

Web servers Support:

PHP is compatible with almost all local servers used today like Apache,
Netscape, Microsoft IIS, etc.

Security:

PHP is a secure language to develop the website. It consists of multiple layers

of security to prevent threads and malicious attacks.

Control:

Different programming languages require long script or code, whereas PHP

can do the same work in a few lines of code. It has maximum control over the
websites like you can make changes easily whenever you want.

A Helpful PHP Community:

It has a large community of developers who regularly updates documentation,

tutorials, online help, and FAQs. Learning PHP from the communities is one of
the significant benefits.

Prerequisite
 Before learning PHP, you must have the basic knowledge of HTML,
CSS, and JavaScript. So, learn these technologies for better implementation
of PHP.

HTML - HTML is used to design static webpage.

CSS - CSS helps to make the webpage content more effective and attractive.

JavaScript - JavaScript is used to design an interactive website.

How to run PHP code in XAMPP

Generally, a PHP file contains HTML tags and some PHP scripting code. It is
very easy to create a simple PHP example. To do so, create a file and write
HTML tags + PHP code and save this file with .php extension.

Note: PHP statements ends with semicolon (;).

All PHP code goes between the php tag. It starts with <?php and ends with ?
>. The syntax of PHP tag is given below:

1. <?php
2. //your code here
3. ?>

Let's see a simple PHP example where we are writing some text using PHP
echo command.

1. <!DOCTYPE>
2. <html>
3. <body>
4. <?php
5. echo "<h2>Hello First PHP</h2>";
6. ?>
7. </body>
8. </html>

Output:

Hello First PHP

 PHP Echo
PHP echo is a language construct, not a function. Therefore, you don't need
to use parenthesis with it. But if you want to use more than one parameter, it
is required to use parenthesis.

The syntax of PHP echo is given below:

1. void echo ( string $arg1 [, string $... ] )

PHP echo statement can be used to print the string, multi-line strings,
escaping characters, variable, array, etc. Some important points that you must
know about the echo statement are:

o echo is a statement, which is used to display the output.

o echo can be used with or without parentheses: echo(), and echo.
o echo does not return any value.
o We can pass multiple strings separated by a comma (,) in echo.
o echo is faster than the print statement.

PHP echo: printing string

1. <?php
2. echo "Hello by PHP echo";
3. ?>

Output:

Hello by PHP echo

PHP echo: printing variable value

1. <?php
2. $msg="Hello JavaTpoint PHP";
3. echo "Message is: $msg";
4. ?>
 Output:

Message is: Hello JavaTpoint PHP

PHP Print
Like PHP echo, PHP print is a language construct, so you don't need to use
parenthesis with the argument list. Print statement can be used with or
without parentheses: print and print(). Unlike echo, it always returns 1.

The syntax of PHP print is given below:

1. int print(string $arg)

PHP print statement can be used to print the string, multi-line strings,
escaping characters, variable, array, etc. Some important points that you must
know about the echo statement are:

o print is a statement, used as an alternative to echo at many times to

display the output.
o print can be used with or without parentheses.
o print always returns an integer value, which is 1.
o Using print, we cannot pass multiple arguments.
o print is slower than the echo statement.

PHP print: printing string

1. <?php
2. print "Hello by PHP print ";
3. print ("Hello by PHP print()");
4. ?>

Output:

Hello by PHP print Hello by PHP print()

Difference between echo and print

echo
 o echo is a statement, which is used to display the output.
o echo can be used with or without parentheses.
o echo does not return any value.
o We can pass multiple strings separated by comma (,) in echo.
o echo is faster than print statement.

print

o print is also a statement, used as an alternative to echo at many times

to display the output.
o print can be used with or without parentheses.
o print always returns an integer value, which is 1.
o Using print, we cannot pass multiple arguments.
o print is slower than echo statement.

PHP Variables
In PHP, a variable is declared using a $ sign followed by the variable name. Here,
some important points to know about variables:

o As PHP is a loosely typed language, so we do not need to declare the

data types of the variables. It automatically analyzes the values and
makes conversions to its correct datatype.
o After declaring a variable, it can be reused throughout the code.
o Assignment Operator (=) is used to assign the value to a variable.

Syntax of declaring a variable in PHP is given below:

1. $variablename=value;

Rules for declaring PHP variable:

o A variable must start with a dollar ($) sign, followed by the variable
name.
o It can only contain alpha-numeric character and underscore (A-z, 0-9,
_).
o A variable name must start with a letter or underscore (_) character.
o A PHP variable name cannot contain spaces.
 o One thing to be kept in mind that the variable name cannot start with a
number or special symbols.
o PHP variables are case-sensitive, so $name and $NAME both are
treated as different variable.

PHP Variable: Declaring string, integer, and float

Let's see the example to store string, integer, and float values in PHP variables.

1. <?php
2. $str="hello string";
3. $x=200;
4. $y=44.6;
5. echo "string is: $str <br/>";
6. echo "integer is: $x <br/>";
7. echo "float is: $y <br/>";
8. ?>

Output:

string is: hello string

integer is: 200
float is: 44.6

PHP Variable: Sum of two variables

1. <?php
2. $x=5;
3. $y=6;
4. $z=$x+$y;
5. echo $z;
6. ?>

Output:

11

PHP Variable Scope

 The scope of a variable is defined as its range in the program under which it
can be accessed. In other words, "The scope of a variable is the portion of the
program within which it is defined and can be accessed."

PHP has three types of variable scopes:

1. Local variable
2. Global variable
3. Static variable

Local variable
The variables that are declared within a function are called local variables for
that function. These local variables have their scope only in that particular
function in which they are declared. This means that these variables cannot be
accessed outside the function, as they have local scope.

A variable declaration outside the function with the same name is completely
different from the variable declared inside the function. Let's understand the
local variables with the help of an example:

File: local_variable1.php

1. <?php
2. function local_var()
3. {
4. $num = 45; //local variable
5. echo "Local variable declared inside the function is: ". $num;
6. }
7. local_var();
8. ?>

Output:

Local variable declared inside the function is: 45

File: local_variable2.php

1. <?php
2. function mytest()
3. {
4. $lang = "PHP";
5. echo "Web development language: " .$lang;
6. }
7. mytest();
8. //using $lang (local variable) outside the function will generate an error
9. echo $lang;
10. ?>

Output:

Web development language: PHP

Notice: Undefined variable: lang in D:\xampp\htdocs\program\p3.php on
line 28

Global variable
The global variables are the variables that are declared outside the function.
These variables can be accessed anywhere in the program. To access the
global variable within a function, use the GLOBAL keyword before the variable.
However, these variables can be directly accessed or used outside the function
without any keyword. Therefore there is no need to use any keyword to access
a global variable outside the function.

Let's understand the global variables with the help of an example:

Example:

1. <?php
2. $name = "Sanaya Sharma"; //Global Variable
3. function global_var()
4. {
5. global $name;
6. echo "Variable inside the function: ". $name;
7. echo "</br>";
8. }
9. global_var();
10. echo "Variable outside the function: ". $name;
11. ?>

Output:

Variable inside the function: Sanaya Sharma

 Variable outside the function: Sanaya Sharma

Note: Without using the global keyword, if you try to access a global variable
inside the function, it will generate an error that the variable is undefined.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $name = "Sanaya Sharma"; //global variable
3. function global_var()
4. {
5. echo "Variable inside the function: ". $name;
6. echo "</br>";
7. }
8. global_var();
9. ?>

Output:

Notice: Undefined variable: name in D:\xampp\htdocs\program\p3.php on

line 6
Variable inside the function:

If two variables, local and global, have the same name, then the local variable
has higher priority than the global variable inside the function.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $x = 5;
3. function mytest()
4. {
5. $x = 7;
6. echo "value of x: " .$x;
7. }
8. mytest();
9. ?>

Output:

Value of x: 7
 Note: local variable has higher priority than the global variable.

Static variable
It is a feature of PHP to delete the variable, once it completes its execution
and memory is freed. Sometimes we need to store a variable even after
completion of function execution. Therefore, another important feature of
variable scoping is static variable. We use the static keyword before the
variable to define a variable, and this variable is called as static variable.

Static variables exist only in a local function, but it does not free its memory
after the program execution leaves the scope. Understand it with the help of
an example:

Example:
File: static_variable.php

1. <?php
2. function static_var()
3. {
4. static $num1 = 3; //static variable
5. $num2 = 6; //Non-static variable
6. //increment in non-static variable
7. $num1++;
8. //increment in static variable
9. $num2++;
10. echo "Static: " .$num1 ."</br>";
11. echo "Non-static: " .$num2 ."</br>";
12. }
13.
14. //first function call
15. static_var();
16.
17. //second function call
18. static_var();
19. ?>

Output:
 Static: 4
Non-static: 7
Static: 5
Non-static: 7

You have to notice that $num1 regularly increments after each function call,
whereas $num2 does not. This is why because $num1 is not a static variable,
so it freed its memory after the execution of each function call.

PHP $ and $$ Variables

The $var (single dollar) is a normal variable with the name var that stores any
value like string, integer, float, etc.

The $$var (double dollar) is a reference variable that stores the value of the
$variable inside it.

To understand the difference better, let's see some examples.

Example 1

1. <?php
2. $x = "abc";
3. $$x = 200;
4. echo $x."<br/>";
5. echo $$x."<br/>";
6. echo $abc;
7. ?>

Output:
 In the above example, we have assigned a value to the variable x as abc. Value
of reference variable $$x is assigned as 200.

Now we have printed the values $x, $$x and $abc.

PHP Constants
PHP constants are name or identifier that can't be changed during the
execution of the script except for magic constants, which are not really
constants. PHP constants can be defined by 2 ways:

1. Using define() function

2. Using const keyword

Constants are similar to the variable except once they defined, they can never
be undefined or changed. They remain constant across the entire program.
PHP constants follow the same PHP variable rules. For example, it can be
started with a letter or underscore only.

Conventionally, PHP constants should be defined in uppercase letters.

Note: Unlike variables, constants are automatically global throughout the

script.

PHP constant: define()

Use the define() function to create a constant. It defines constant at run time.
Let's see the syntax of define() function in PHP.

1. define(name, value, case-insensitive)

1. name: It specifies the constant name.
2. value: It specifies the constant value.
3. case-insensitive: Specifies whether a constant is case-insensitive.
Default value is false. It means it is case sensitive by default.

Let's see the example to define PHP constant using define().

File: constant1.php
1. <?php
2. define("MESSAGE","Hello JavaTpoint PHP");
3. echo MESSAGE;
4. ?>

Output:

Hello JavaTpoint PHP

Create a constant with case-insensitive name:

File: constant2.php

1. <?php
2. define("MESSAGE","Hello JavaTpoint PHP",true);//not case sensitive
3. echo MESSAGE, "</br>";
4. echo message;
5. ?>

Output:

Hello JavaTpoint PHP

Hello JavaTpoint PHP

File: constant3.php

1. <?php
2. define("MESSAGE","Hello JavaTpoint PHP",false);//case sensitive
3. echo MESSAGE;
4. echo message;
5. ?>

Output:

Hello JavaTpoint PHP

Notice: Use of undefined constant message - assumed 'message'
in C:\wamp\www\vconstant3.php on line 4
message
 PHP constant: const keyword
PHP introduced a keyword const to create a constant. The const keyword
defines constants at compile time. It is a language construct, not a function.
The constant defined using const keyword are case-sensitive.

File: constant4.php

1. <?php
2. const MESSAGE="Hello const by JavaTpoint PHP";
3. echo MESSAGE;
4. ?>

Output:

Hello const by JavaTpoint PHP

Constant vs Variables

Constant Variables

Once the constant is defined, it can never be A variable can be undefined as well as
redefined. redefined easily.

A constant can only be defined using define() A variable can be defined by simple
function. It cannot be defined by any simple assignment (=) operator.
assignment.

There is no need to use the dollar ($) sign To declare a variable, always use the dollar
before constant during the assignment. ($) sign before the variable.

Constants do not follow any variable scoping Variables can be declared anywhere in the
rules, and they can be defined and accessed program, but they follow variable scoping
anywhere. rules.

Constants are the variables whose values can't The value of the variable can be changed.
be changed throughout the program.

By default, constants are global. Variables can be local, global, or static.

PHP Data Types

 PHP data types are used to hold different types of data or values. PHP
supports 8 primitive data types that can be categorized further in 3 types:

1. Scalar Types (predefined)

2. Compound Types (user-defined)
3. Special Types

PHP Data Types: Scalar Types

It holds only single value. There are 4 scalar data types in PHP.

1. boolean
2. integer
3. float
4. string

PHP Data Types: Compound Types

It can hold multiple values. There are 2 compound data types in PHP.

1. array
2. object

PHP Data Types: Special Types

There are 2 special data types in PHP.

1. resource
2. NULL

PHP Boolean

Booleans are the simplest data type works like switch. It holds only two
values: TRUE (1) or FALSE (0). It is often used with conditional statements. If
the condition is correct, it returns TRUE otherwise FALSE.

Example:

1. <?php
2. if (TRUE)
3. echo "This condition is TRUE.";
4. if (FALSE)
5. echo "This condition is FALSE.";
6. ?>

Output:

This condition is TRUE.

PHP Integer

Integer means numeric data with a negative or positive sign. It holds only
whole numbers, i.e., numbers without fractional part or decimal points.

Rules for integer:

o An integer can be either positive or negative.

o An integer must not contain decimal point.
o Integer can be decimal (base 10), octal (base 8), or hexadecimal (base
16).
o The range of an integer must be lie between 2,147,483,648 and
2,147,483,647 i.e., -2^31 to 2^31.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $dec1 = 34;
3. $oct1 = 0243;
4. $hexa1 = 0x45;
5. echo "Decimal number: " .$dec1. "</br>";
6. echo "Octal number: " .$oct1. "</br>";
7. echo "HexaDecimal number: " .$hexa1. "</br>";
8. ?>

Output:

Decimal number: 34
Octal number: 163
 HexaDecimal number: 69

PHP Float

A floating-point number is a number with a decimal point. Unlike integer, it

can hold numbers with a fractional or decimal point, including a negative or
positive sign.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $n1 = 19.34;
3. $n2 = 54.472;
4. $sum = $n1 + $n2;
5. echo "Addition of floating numbers: " .$sum;
6. ?>

Output:

Addition of floating numbers: 73.812

PHP String

A string is a non-numeric data type. It holds letters or any alphabets, numbers,

and even special characters.

String values must be enclosed either within single quotes or in double

quotes. But both are treated differently. To clarify this, see the example below:

Example:

1. <?php
2. $company = "Javatpoint";
3. //both single and double quote statements will treat different
4. echo "Hello $company";
5. echo "</br>";
6. echo 'Hello $company';
7. ?>

Output:
 Hello Javatpoint
Hello $company

PHP Array

An array is a compound data type. It can store multiple values of same data
type in a single variable.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $bikes = array ("Royal Enfield", "Yamaha", "KTM");
3. var_dump($bikes); //the var_dump() function returns the datatype and valu
es
4. echo "</br>";
5. echo "Array Element1: $bikes[0] </br>";
6. echo "Array Element2: $bikes[1] </br>";
7. echo "Array Element3: $bikes[2] </br>";
8. ?>

Output:

array(3) { [0]=> string(13) "Royal Enfield" [1]=> string(6) "Yamaha"

[2]=> string(3) "KTM" }
Array Element1: Royal Enfield
Array Element2: Yamaha
Array Element3: KTM

You will learn more about array in later chapters of this tutorial.

PHP object

Objects are the instances of user-defined classes that can store both values
and functions. They must be explicitly declared.

Example:

1. <?php
2. class bike {
3. function model() {
4. $model_name = "Royal Enfield";
5. echo "Bike Model: " .$model_name;
6. }
7. }
8. $obj = new bike();
9. $obj -> model();
10. ?>

Output:

Bike Model: Royal Enfield

This is an advanced topic of PHP, which we will discuss later in detail.

PHP Resource

Resources are not the exact data type in PHP. Basically, these are used to store
some function calls or references to external PHP resources. For example - a
database call. It is an external resource.

This is an advanced topic of PHP, so we will discuss it later in detail with

examples.

PHP Null

Null is a special data type that has only one value: NULL. There is a
convention of writing it in capital letters as it is case sensitive.

The special type of data type NULL defined a variable with no value.

Example:

1. <?php
2. $nl = NULL;
3. echo $nl; //it will not give any output
4. ?>

Output:

PHP Operators
 PHP Operator is a symbol i.e used to perform operations on operands. In
simple words, operators are used to perform operations on variables or
values. For example:

1. $num=10+20;//+ is the operator and 10,20 are operands

In the above example, + is the binary + operator, 10 and 20 are operands and
$num is variable.

PHP Operators can be categorized in following forms:

o Arithmetic Operators
o Assignment Operators
o Bitwise Operators
o Comparison Operators
o Incrementing/Decrementing Operators
o Logical Operators
o String Operators
o Array Operators
o Type Operators
o Execution Operators
o Error Control Operators

We can also categorize operators on behalf of operands. They can be

categorized in 3 forms:

o Unary Operators: works on single operands such as ++, -- etc.

o Binary Operators: works on two operands such as binary +, -, *, / etc.
o Ternary Operators: works on three operands such as "?:".

Arithmetic Operators
The PHP arithmetic operators are used to perform common arithmetic
operations such as addition, subtraction, etc. with numeric values.

Operator Name Example Explanation

+ Addition $a + $b Sum of operands

- Subtraction $a - $b Difference of operands

* Multiplication $a * $b Product of operands

/ Division $a / $b Quotient of operands

% Modulus $a % $b Remainder of operands

** Exponentiation $a ** $b $a raised to the power $b

The exponentiation (**) operator has been introduced in PHP 5.6.

Assignment Operators
The assignment operators are used to assign value to different variables. The
basic assignment operator is "=".

Operato Name Example Explanation

r

= Assign $a = $b The value of right operand is assigned to the

left operand.

+= Add then Assign $a += $b Addition same as $a = $a + $b

-= Subtract then $a -= $b Subtraction same as $a = $a - $b

Assign

*= Multiply then $a *= $b Multiplication same as $a = $a * $b

Assign

/= Divide then $a /= $b Find quotient same as $a = $a / $b

Assign
(quotient)

%= Divide then $a %= $b Find remainder same as $a = $a % $b

Assign
(remainder)
Bitwise Operators
The bitwise operators are used to perform bit-level operations on operands.
These operators allow the evaluation and manipulation of specific bits within
the integer.

Operato Name Example Explanation

r

& And $a & $b Bits that are 1 in both $a and $b are set to 1,
otherwise 0.

| Or (Inclusive or) $a | $b Bits that are 1 in either $a or $b are set to 1

^ Xor (Exclusive $a ^ $b Bits that are 1 in either $a or $b are set to 0.

or)

~ Not ~$a Bits that are 1 set to 0 and bits that are 0 are set
to 1

<< Shift left $a << $b Left shift the bits of operand $a $b steps

>> Shift right $a >> $b Right shift the bits of $a operand by $b number
of places

Comparison Operators
Comparison operators allow comparing two values, such as number or string.
Below the list of comparison operators are given:

Operato Name Example Explanation

r

== Equal $a == $b Return TRUE if $a is equal to $b

=== Identical $a === Return TRUE if $a is equal to $b, and they are
$b of same data type

!== Not identical $a !== $b Return TRUE if $a is not equal to $b, and they
are not of same data type

!= Not equal $a != $b Return TRUE if $a is not equal to $b

<> Not equal $a <> $b Return TRUE if $a is not equal to $b

< Less than $a < $b Return TRUE if $a is less than $b

> Greater than $a > $b Return TRUE if $a is greater than $b

<= Less than or $a <= $b Return TRUE if $a is less than or equal $b

equal to

>= Greater than or $a >= $b Return TRUE if $a is greater than or equal $b

equal to

<=> Spaceship $a <=>$b Return -1 if $a is less than $b

Return 0 if $a is equal $b
Return 1 if $a is greater than $b

Incrementing/Decrementing Operators
The increment and decrement operators are used to increase and decrease
the value of a variable.

Operator Name Example Explanation

++ Increment ++$a Increment the value of $a by one, then return $a

$a++ Return $a, then increment the value of $a by one

-- decrement --$a Decrement the value of $a by one, then return $a

$a-- Return $a, then decrement the value of $a by one

Logical Operators
The logical operators are used to perform bit-level operations on operands.
These operators allow the evaluation and manipulation of specific bits within
the integer.

Operator Name Example Explanation

and And $a and $b Return TRUE if both $a and $b are true

Or Or $a or $b Return TRUE if either $a or $b is true

xor Xor $a xor $b Return TRUE if either $ or $b is true but not both

! Not ! $a Return TRUE if $a is not true

&& And $a && $b Return TRUE if either $a and $b are true

|| Or $a || $b Return TRUE if either $a or $b is true

String Operators
The string operators are used to perform the operation on strings. There are
two string operators in PHP, which are given below:

Operato Name Example Explanation

r

. Concatenation $a . $b Concatenate both $a and $b

.= Concatenation and $a .= $b First concatenate $a and $b, then assign the

Assignment concatenated string to $a, e.g. $a = $a . $b

Array Operators
The array operators are used in case of array. Basically, these operators are
used to compare the values of arrays.

Operato Name Example Explanation

r

+ Union $a + $y Union of $a and $b

== Equality $a == $b Return TRUE if $a and $b have same key/value pair

!= Inequality $a != $b Return TRUE if $a is not equal to $b

=== Identity $a === Return TRUE if $a and $b have same key/value pair of
$b same type in same order

!== Non- $a !== $b Return TRUE if $a is not identical to $b

 Identity

<> Inequality $a <> $b Return TRUE if $a is not equal to $b

Type Operators
The type operator instanceof is used to determine whether an object, its
parent and its derived class are the same type or not. Basically, this operator
determines which certain class the object belongs to. It is used in object-
oriented programming.

1. <?php
2. //class declaration
3. class Developer
4. {}
5. class Programmer
6. {}
7. //creating an object of type Developer
8. $charu = new Developer();
9.
10. //testing the type of object
11. if( $charu instanceof Developer)
12. {
13. echo "Charu is a developer.";
14. }
15. else
16. {
17. echo "Charu is a programmer.";
18. }
19. echo "</br>";
20. var_dump($charu instanceof Developer); //It will return true.
21. var_dump($charu instanceof Programmer); //It will return false.
22. ?>

Output:

Charu is a developer.
bool(true) bool(false)

Execution Operators
PHP has an execution operator backticks (``). PHP executes the content of
backticks as a shell command. Execution operator and shell_exec() give the
same result.

Operato Name Exampl Explanation

r e

`` backticks echo `dir`; Execute the shell command and return the result.
Here, it will show the directories available in current
folder.

Note: Note that backticks (``) are not single-quotes.

Error Control Operators

PHP has one error control operator, i.e., at (@) symbol. Whenever it is used
with an expression, any error message will be ignored that might be
generated by that expression.

Operator Name Example Explanation

@ at @file ('non_existent_file') Intentional file error

PHP Operators Precedence

Let's see the precedence of PHP operators with associativity.

Operators Additional Information Associativity

clone new clone and new non-

associative

[ array() left
** arithmetic right

++ -- ~ (int) (float) (string) (array) increment/decrement and types right

(object) (bool) @

instanceof types non-

associative

! logical (negation) right

*/% arithmetic left

+-. arithmetic and string left

concatenation

<< >> bitwise (shift) left

< <= > >= comparison non-

associative

== != === !== <> comparison non-

associative

& bitwise AND left

^ bitwise XOR left

| bitwise OR left

&& logical AND left

|| logical OR left

?: ternary left

= += -= *= **= /= .= %= &= |= ^= <<= assignment right

>>= =>

and logical left

xor logical left

or logical left

, many uses (comma) left

 PHP Comments
PHP comments can be used to describe any line of code so that other
developer can understand the code easily. It can also be used to hide any
code.

PHP supports single line and multi line comments. These comments are
similar to C/C++ and Perl style (Unix shell style) comments.

PHP Single Line Comments

There are two ways to use single line comments in PHP.

o // (C++ style single line comment)

o # (Unix Shell style single line comment)

1. <?php
2. // this is C++ style single line comment
3. # this is Unix Shell style single line comment
4. echo "Welcome to PHP single line comments";
5. ?>

Output:

Welcome to PHP single line comments

PHP Multi Line Comments

In PHP, we can comments multiple lines also. To do so, we need to enclose all
lines within /* */. Let's see a simple example of PHP multiple line comment.

1. <?php
2. /*
3. Anything placed
4. within comment
5. will not be displayed
6. on the browser;
7. */
8. echo "Welcome to PHP multi line comment";
9. ?>

Output:

Welcome to PHP multi line comment

PHP Functions
PHP function is a piece of code that can be reused many times. It can take
input as argument list and return value. There are thousands of built-in
functions in PHP.

In PHP, we can define Conditional function, Function within

Function and Recursive function also.

Advantage of PHP Functions

Code Reusability: PHP functions are defined only once and can be invoked
many times, like in other programming languages.

Less Code: It saves a lot of code because you don't need to write the logic
many times. By the use of function, you can write the logic only once and
reuse it.

Easy to understand: PHP functions separate the programming logic. So it is

easier to understand the flow of the application because every logic is divided
in the form of functions.

PHP User-defined Functions

We can declare and call user-defined functions easily. Let's see the syntax to
declare user-defined functions.

Syntax

1. function functionname(){
2. //code to be executed
3. }

Note: Function name must be start with letter and underscore only like other
labels in PHP. It can't be start with numbers or special symbols.

PHP Functions Example

File: function1.php

1. <?php
2. function sayHello(){
3. echo "Hello PHP Function";
4. }
5. sayHello();//calling function
6. ?>

Output:

Hello PHP Function

PHP Function Arguments

We can pass the information in PHP function through arguments which is
separated by comma.

PHP supports Call by Value (default), Call by Reference, Default argument

values and Variable-length argument list.

Let's see the example to pass single argument in PHP function.

File: functionarg.php

1. <?php
2. function sayHello($name){
3. echo "Hello $name<br/>";
4. }
5. sayHello("Sonoo");
6. sayHello("Vimal");
7. sayHello("John");
8. ?>

Output:

Hello Sonoo
Hello Vimal
Hello John

Let's see the example to pass two argument in PHP function.

File: functionarg2.php

1. <?php
2. function sayHello($name,$age){
3. echo "Hello $name, you are $age years old<br/>";
4. }
5. sayHello("Sonoo",27);
6. sayHello("Vimal",29);
7. sayHello("John",23);
8. ?>

Output:

Hello Sonoo, you are 27 years old

Hello Vimal, you are 29 years old
Hello John, you are 23 years old

PHP Call By Reference

Value passed to the function doesn't modify the actual value by default (call
by value). But we can do so by passing value as a reference.

By default, value passed to the function is call by value. To pass value as a

reference, you need to use ampersand (&) symbol before the argument name.

Let's see a simple example of call by reference in PHP.

File: functionref.php
1. <?php
2. function adder(&$str2)
3. {
4. $str2 .= 'Call By Reference';
5. }
6. $str = 'Hello ';
7. adder($str);
8. echo $str;
9. ?>

Output:

Hello Call By Reference

PHP Function: Default Argument Value

We can specify a default argument value in function. While calling PHP
function if you don't specify any argument, it will take the default argument.
Let's see a simple example of using default argument value in PHP function.

File: functiondefaultarg.php

1. <?php
2. function sayHello($name="Sonoo"){
3. echo "Hello $name<br/>";
4. }
5. sayHello("Rajesh");
6. sayHello();//passing no value
7. sayHello("John");
8. ?>

Output:

Hello Rajesh
Hello Sonoo
Hello John

PHP Function: Returning Value

 Let's see an example of PHP function that returns value.

File: functiondefaultarg.php

1. <?php
2. function cube($n){
3. return $n*$n*$n;
4. }
5. echo "Cube of 3 is: ".cube(3);
6. ?>

Output:

Cube of 3 is: 27

PHP Arrays
PHP array is an ordered map (contains value on the basis of key). It is used to
hold multiple values of similar type in a single variable.

Advantage of PHP Array

Less Code: We don't need to define multiple variables.

Easy to traverse: By the help of single loop, we can traverse all the elements
of an array.

Sorting: We can sort the elements of array.

PHP Array Types

There are 3 types of array in PHP.

1. Indexed Array
2. Associative Array
3. Multidimensional Array
 PHP Indexed Array
PHP index is represented by number which starts from 0. We can store
number, string and object in the PHP array. All PHP array elements are
assigned to an index number by default.

There are two ways to define indexed array:

1st way:

1. $season=array("summer","winter","spring","autumn");

2nd way:

1. $season[0]="summer";
2. $season[1]="winter";
3. $season[2]="spring";
4. $season[3]="autumn";

Example
File: array1.php

1. <?php
2. $season=array("summer","winter","spring","autumn");
3. echo "Season are: $season[0], $season[1], $season[2] and $season[3]";
4. ?>

Output:

Season are: summer, winter, spring and autumn

File: array2.php

1. <?php
2. $season[0]="summer";
3. $season[1]="winter";
4. $season[2]="spring";
5. $season[3]="autumn";
6. echo "Season are: $season[0], $season[1], $season[2] and $season[3]";
7. ?>

Output:

Season are: summer, winter, spring and autumn

Click me for more details...

PHP Associative Array

We can associate name with each array elements in PHP using => symbol.

There are two ways to define associative array:

1st way:

1. $salary=array("Sonoo"=>"350000","John"=>"450000","Kartik"=>"200000");

2nd way:

1. $salary["Sonoo"]="350000";
2. $salary["John"]="450000";
3. $salary["Kartik"]="200000";

Example
File: arrayassociative1.php

1. <?php
2. $salary=array("Sonoo"=>"350000","John"=>"450000","Kartik"=>"200000");
3. echo "Sonoo salary: ".$salary["Sonoo"]."<br/>";
4. echo "John salary: ".$salary["John"]."<br/>";
5. echo "Kartik salary: ".$salary["Kartik"]."<br/>";
6. ?>

Output:
 Sonoo salary: 350000
John salary: 450000
Kartik salary: 200000
File: arrayassociative2.php

1. <?php
2. $salary["Sonoo"]="350000";
3. $salary["John"]="450000";
4. $salary["Kartik"]="200000";
5. echo "Sonoo salary: ".$salary["Sonoo"]."<br/>";
6. echo "John salary: ".$salary["John"]."<br/>";
7. echo "Kartik salary: ".$salary["Kartik"]."<br/>";
8. ?>

Output:

Sonoo salary: 350000

John salary: 450000
Kartik salary: 200000

PHP Multidimensional Array

PHP multidimensional array is also known as array of arrays. It allows you to
store tabular data in an array. PHP multidimensional array can be represented
in the form of matrix which is represented by row * column.

Definition
1. $emp = array
2. (
3. array(1,"sonoo",400000),
4. array(2,"john",500000),
5. array(3,"rahul",300000)
6. );

PHP Multidimensional Array Example

Let's see a simple example of PHP multidimensional array to display following
tabular data. In this example, we are displaying 3 rows and 3 columns.
 Id Name Salary

1 sonoo 400000

2 john 500000

3 rahul 300000

File: multiarray.php

1. <?php
2. $emp = array
3. (
4. array(1,"sonoo",400000),
5. array(2,"john",500000),
6. array(3,"rahul",300000)
7. );
8.
9. for ($row = 0; $row < 3; $row++) {
10. for ($col = 0; $col < 3; $col++) {
11. echo $emp[$row][$col]." ";
12. }
13. echo "<br/>";
14. }
15. ?>

Output:

1 sonoo 400000
2 john 500000
3 rahul 300000

PHP String
PHP string is a sequence of characters i.e., used to store and manipulate text.
PHP supports only 256-character set and so that it does not offer native
Unicode support. There are 4 ways to specify a string literal in PHP.

1. single quoted
 2. double quoted
3. heredoc syntax
4. newdoc syntax (since PHP 5.3)

Single Quoted
We can create a string in PHP by enclosing the text in a single-quote. It is the
easiest way to specify string in PHP.

For specifying a literal single quote, escape it with a backslash (\) and to
specify a literal backslash (\) use double backslash (\\). All the other instances
with backslash such as \r or \n, will be output same as they specified instead
of having any special meaning.

For Example

Following some examples are given to understand the single quoted PHP
String in a better way:

Example 1

1. <?php
2. $str='Hello text within single quote';
3. echo $str;
4. ?>

Output:

Hello text within single quote

We can store multiple line text, special characters, and escape sequences in a
single-quoted PHP string.

Example 2

1. <?php
2. $str1='Hello text
3. multiple line
4. text within single quoted string';
5. $str2='Using double "quote" directly inside single quoted string';
6. $str3='Using escape sequences \n in single quoted string';
7. echo "$str1 <br/> $str2 <br/> $str3";
8. ?>

Output:

Hello text multiple line text within single quoted string

Using double "quote" directly inside single quoted string
Using escape sequences \n in single quoted string

Example 3

1. <?php
2. $num1=10;
3. $str1='trying variable $num1';
4. $str2='trying backslash n and backslash t inside single quoted string \n \t';
5. $str3='Using single quote \'my quote\' and \\backslash';
6. echo "$str1 <br/> $str2 <br/> $str3";
7. ?>

Output:

trying variable $num1

trying backslash n and backslash t inside single quoted string \n \t
Using single quote 'my quote' and \backslash

Note: In single quoted PHP strings, most escape sequences and variables will
not be interpreted. But, we can use single quote through \' and backslash
through \\ inside single quoted PHP strings.

Double Quoted
In PHP, we can specify string through enclosing text within double quote also.
But escape sequences and variables will be interpreted using double quote
PHP strings.
 Example 1

1. <?php
2. $str="Hello text within double quote";
3. echo $str;
4. ?>

Output:

Hello text within double quote

Now, you can't use double quote directly inside double quoted string.

Example 2

1. <?php
2. $str1="Using double "quote" directly inside double quoted string";
3. echo $str1;
4. ?>

Output:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected 'quote' (T_STRING) in C:\wamp\

www\string1.php on line 2

We can store multiple line text, special characters and escape

sequences in a double quoted PHP string.

Example 3

1. <?php
2. $str1="Hello text
3. multiple line
4. text within double quoted string";
5. $str2="Using double \"quote\" with backslash inside double quoted string";
6. $str3="Using escape sequences \n in double quoted string";
7. echo "$str1 <br/> $str2 <br/> $str3";
8. ?>
 Output:

Hello text multiple line text within double quoted string

Using double "quote" with backslash inside double quoted string
Using escape sequences in double quoted string

In double quoted strings, variable will be interpreted.

Example 4

1. <?php
2. $num1=10;
3. echo "Number is: $num1";
4. ?>

Output:

Number is: 10

Heredoc
Heredoc syntax (<<<) is the third way to delimit strings. In Heredoc syntax, an
identifier is provided after this heredoc <<< operator, and immediately a new
line is started to write any text. To close the quotation, the string follows itself
and then again that same identifier is provided. That closing identifier must
begin from the new line without any whitespace or tab.

Naming Rules

The identifier should follow the naming rule that it must contain only
alphanumeric characters and underscores, and must start with an underscore
or a non-digit character.

For Example
Valid Example

1. <?php
2. $str = <<<Demo
3. It is a valid example
4. Demo; //Valid code as whitespace or tab is not valid before closing identifier

5. echo $str;
6. ?>

Output:

It is a valid example

Invalid Example

We cannot use any whitespace or tab before and after the identifier and
semicolon, which means identifier must not be indented. The identifier must
begin from the new line.

1. <?php
2. $str = <<<Demo
3. It is Invalid example
4. Demo; //Invalid code as whitespace or tab is not valid before closing ide
ntifier
5. echo $str;
6. ?>

This code will generate an error.

Output:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected end of file in C:\xampp\htdocs\

xampp\PMA\heredoc.php on line 7

Newdoc
Newdoc is similar to the heredoc, but in newdoc parsing is not done. It is also
identified with three less than symbols <<< followed by an identifier. But here
identifier is enclosed in single-quote, e.g. <<<'EXP'. Newdoc follows the
same rule as heredocs.

The difference between newdoc and heredoc is that - Newdoc is a single-

quoted string whereas heredoc is a double-quoted string.

Note: Newdoc works as single quotes.

 Example-1:

1. <?php
2. $str = <<<'DEMO'
3. Welcome to javaTpoint.
4. Learn with newdoc example.
5. DEMO;
6. echo $str;
7. echo '</br>';
8.
9. echo <<< 'Demo' // Here we are not storing string content in variable str.
10. Welcome to javaTpoint.
11. Learn with newdoc example.
12. Demo;
13. ?>

Output:

Welcome to javaTpoint. Learn with newdoc example.

Welcome to javaTpoint. Learn with newdoc example.

PHP Global Variables - Superglobals

Some predefined variables in PHP are "superglobals", which means that
they are always accessible, regardless of scope - and you can access them
from any function, class or file without having to do anything special.

The PHP superglobal variables are:

 $GLOBALS
 $_SERVER
 $_REQUEST
 $_POST
 $_GET
 $_FILES
 $_ENV
 $_COOKIE
 $_SESSION
 PHP Form Handling
The PHP superglobals $_GET and $_POST are used to collect form-
data.

PHP - A Simple HTML Form

The example below displays a simple HTML form with two input fields and
a submit button:

ExampleGet your own PHP Server

<html>
<body>

<form action="welcome.php" method="post">

Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>

</body>
</html>

Run Example »

When the user fills out the form above and clicks the submit button, the
form data is sent for processing to a PHP file named "welcome.php". The
form data is sent with the HTTP POST method.

To display the submitted data you could simply echo all the variables. The
"welcome.php" looks like this:

<html>
<body>

Welcome <?php echo $_POST["name"]; ?><br>

Your email address is: <?php echo $_POST["email"]; ?>

</body>
</html>

The output could be something like this:

 Welcome John
Your email address is [email protected]

The same result could also be achieved using the HTTP GET method:

Example

<html>
<body>

<form action="welcome_get.php" method="get">

Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>

</body>
</html>

Run Example »

and "welcome_get.php" looks like this:

<html>
<body>

Welcome <?php echo $_GET["name"]; ?><br>

Your email address is: <?php echo $_GET["email"]; ?>

</body>
</html>

The code above is quite simple. However, the most important thing is
missing. You need to validate form data to protect your script from
malicious code.

Think SECURITY when processing PHP forms!

This page does not contain any form validation, it just shows how you can send
and retrieve form data.
However, the next pages will show how to process PHP forms with security in
mind! Proper validation of form data is important to protect your form from
hackers and spammers!

GET vs. POST

Both GET and POST create an array (e.g. array( key1 => value1, key2
=> value2, key3 => value3, ...)). This array holds key/value pairs, where
keys are the names of the form controls and values are the input data
from the user.

Both GET and POST are treated as $_GET and $_POST. These are
superglobals, which means that they are always accessible, regardless of
scope - and you can access them from any function, class or file without
having to do anything special.

$_GET is an array of variables passed to the current script via the URL
parameters.

$_POST is an array of variables passed to the current script via the HTTP
POST method.

When to use GET?

Information sent from a form with the GET method is visible to
everyone (all variable names and values are displayed in the URL). GET
also has limits on the amount of information to send. The limitation is
about 2000 characters. However, because the variables are displayed in
the URL, it is possible to bookmark the page. This can be useful in some
cases.

GET may be used for sending non-sensitive data.

Note: GET should NEVER be used for sending passwords or other

sensitive information!

When to use POST?

Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to
others (all names/values are embedded within the body of the HTTP
request) and has no limits on the amount of information to send.
 Moreover POST supports advanced functionality such as support for multi-
part binary input while uploading files to server.

However, because the variables are not displayed in the URL, it is not
possible to bookmark the page.

Developers prefer POST for sending form data.

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v=fTs3deU7n10&list=PL0b6OzIxLPbyrzCMJOFzLnf_-_5E_dkzs&index=100

PHP Session
PHP session is used to store and pass information from one page to another
temporarily (until user close the website).

PHP session technique is widely used in shopping websites where we need to

store and pass cart information e.g. username, product code, product name,
product price etc from one page to another.

PHP session creates unique user id for each browser to recognize the user and
avoid conflict between multiple browsers.
 PHP session_start() function
PHP session_start() function is used to start the session. It starts a new or
resumes existing session. It returns existing session if session is created
already. If session is not available, it creates and returns new session.

Syntax

1. bool session_start ( void )

Example

1. session_start();

PHP $_SESSION
PHP $_SESSION is an associative array that contains all session variables. It is
used to set and get session variable values.

Example: Store information

1. $_SESSION["user"] = "Sachin";

Example: Get information

1. echo $_SESSION["user"];

PHP Session Example

File: session1.php

1. <?php
2. session_start();
3. ?>
4. <html>
5. <body>
6. <?php
7. $_SESSION["user"] = "Sachin";
8. echo "Session information are set successfully.<br/>";
9. ?>
10. <a href="session2.php">Visit next page</a>
11. </body>
12. </html>
File: session2.php

PHP Session Example

1. <?php
2. session_start();
3. ?>
4. <html>
5. <body>
6. <?php
7. echo "User is: ".$_SESSION["user"];
8. ?>
9. </body>
10. </html>