Introduction to PHP

1.Overview of PHP
History of PHP:
• Created by Rasmus Lerdorf: PHP was
originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994
as a simple set of Common Gateway Interface
(CGI) binaries written in C. It was designed to
track visits to his online resume, and he
called it "Personal Home Page Tools."
• Evolution: Over time, PHP evolved into a full-
fledged programming language. In 1995,
PHP/FI (Form Interpreter) was released,
which combined PHP with a form handling
tool. By 1997, PHP 3 was introduced as a
more comprehensive language with database
support and built-in libraries. PHP 4 was
released in 2000, introducing the Zend
Engine, which significantly improved
performance. PHP 5 in 2004 brought object-
 oriented programming (OOP) features. PHP 7
(2015) and PHP 8 (2020) focused on
performance enhancements and new
language features.
Features of PHP:
• Server-Side Scripting: PHP is primarily a
server-side scripting language, meaning it
runs on the server and generates dynamic
content that is sent to the client's browser.
• Open Source: PHP is free to use and is
supported by a large community of
developers.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: PHP can run
on various operating systems, including
Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• Integration with Databases: PHP can easily
connect to various databases, including
MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQLite.
• Embedded in HTML: PHP can be easily
embedded within HTML, making it simple to
create dynamic web pages.
 • Extensive Library Support: PHP has built-in
libraries and supports numerous extensions,
making it versatile for different web
development tasks.
Advantages of PHP:
• Ease of Use: PHP's syntax is simple and easy
to learn, especially for beginners.
• Flexibility: PHP can be used for a wide range
of applications, from simple web pages to
complex enterprise-level applications.
• Speed: PHP is lightweight and fast, especially
with the introduction of PHP 7 and 8, which
offer significant performance improvements.
• Large Community: PHP has a vast and active
community that contributes to a rich
ecosystem of frameworks, libraries, and tools.
• Compatibility: PHP is compatible with most
web servers and can be deployed on various
platforms.
2.Installation
 Setting up a PHP Environment: To run PHP
code, you'll need a web server, a PHP
interpreter, and optionally, a database.
XAMPP, WAMP, and LAMP are popular
solutions that bundle these components
together for easy installation.
• XAMPP (Cross-Platform, Apache, MySQL,
PHP, Perl):
o Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
o Includes Apache web server, MySQL
database, and PHP interpreter.
o Easy to install and comes with a control
panel to manage services.
• WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP):
o Designed specifically for Windows.
o Similar to XAMPP but only available on
Windows.
o Comes with a control panel for managing
services.
• LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP):
 o A stack for Linux users.
o Each component (Apache, MySQL, PHP)
is installed separately, usually via the
command line.
o Offers more flexibility and control
compared to XAMPP and WAMP.
Installation Steps (Example with XAMPP):
a.Download XAMPP: Visit the official XAMPP
website and download the installer for your
operating system.
b.Install XAMPP: Run the installer and follow
the on-screen instructions. You can choose
which components to install (Apache, MySQL,
PHP, etc.).
c.Start Services: Open the XAMPP Control
Panel and start the Apache and MySQL
services.
d.Test Installation: Create a test.php file in the
htdocs directory (usually located in
C:\xampp\htdocs\ on Windows) with the
following content:
 Open your web browser and navigate to
http://localhost/test.php. If everything is
set up correctly, you should see "Hello,
PHP!" displayed.
3.Basic Syntax
PHP Tags:
• PHP code is enclosed within <?php and ?>
tags.

Comments:
• Single-line comments: Use // or #.

• Multi-line comments: Use /* */.

 Variables:
• Variables in PHP start with a $ sign followed
by the variable name.

Data Types:
• PHP supports various data types, including:
o String: A sequence of characters.

o Integer: Whole numbers.

o Float: Numbers with decimal points.

 o Boolean: Represents true or false.

o Array: An ordered map of key-value pairs.

o Object: An instance of a class.

Operators:
• Arithmetic Operators: Used for mathematical
operations.
 • Comparison Operators: Used to compare
values.

• Logical Operators: Used to combine

conditional statements.

4.PHP and HTML

Embedding PHP in HTML:
• PHP can be embedded within HTML to create
dynamic web pages.
 Embedding HTML in PHP:
• HTML can be included within PHP code using
echo or print statements.

This is an overview of the basics of PHP. By

mastering these fundamentals, you'll be
well-prepared to start building dynamic
and interactive web applications.