Introduction to Web Technology &

implementation of PHP Programs

Evaluation of PHP
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language
widely used for web development. It’s integrated with HTML and
supports databases, making it ideal for dynamic web pages.
Advantages of PHP:
 Open-source, free to use.
 Cross-platform compatibility.
 Extensive community and support.
 Compatible with numerous databases, especially MySQL.

Basic Syntax of PHP

 PHP code is embedded in HTML using the (<?php ... ?> )tags
 Comments in PHP (//, #, /* ... */)
 PHP case sensitivity for variables and keywords
 Ending statements with semicolons (;)

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

Defining Variables and Constants in PHP

Open Source Software
 Definition: Software where source code is publicly accessible,
modifiable, and distributable under licenses that align with the
Open Source Definition.
PHP itself is an example of open-source software.

3. PHP Variables
 Creating Variables: Start with $ followed by the variable name.
<?php
$x = 5; // Integer
$y = "John"; // String
echo $x; // Outputs: 5
echo $y; // Outputs: John
?>
Variable Scope:
 Local: Accessible only within the function it is declared in.
<?php
function testLocal() {
$localVar = "I am local!";
echo $localVar;
}
testLocal(); // Outputs: I am local!
// echo $localVar; // Error: Undefined variable outside function
?>
 Global: Accessible throughout the script by using global
keyword within functions.
<?php
$globalVar = "I am global!";
function testGlobal() {
global $globalVar;
echo $globalVar;
}
testGlobal(); // Outputs: I am global!
echo $globalVar; // Outputs: I am global!
?>
 Static: Retains value across multiple function calls.
<?php
function testStatic() {
static $count = 0; // Retains its value on each function call
echo $count;
$count++;
}
testStatic(); // Outputs: 0
testStatic(); // Outputs: 1
testStatic(); // Outputs: 2
?>

4. PHP Output Statements

 echo: Faster, accepts multiple arguments, does not return a
value.
<?php
echo "Hello", " World"; // Outputs: Hello World
?>
 print: Slower, accepts one argument, returns 1.
<?php
print("Hello"); // Outputs: Hello
$result = print "Hello"; // Outputs: Hello, returns 1
?>

5. PHP as a Loosely Typed Language

 Definition: PHP automatically converts variable types based on
the assigned value.
<?php
$num = 5; // Integer
$num = "5"; // Now string, automatically converted by PHP
echo $num; // Outputs: 5
?>

6. PHP Strings
 Single Quotes: Outputs exactly as written.
<?php
$name = 'John';
echo 'Hello $name'; // Outputs: Hello $name
?>
 Double Quotes: Evaluates variables and escape sequences.
<?php
$name = "John";
echo "Hello $name"; // Outputs: Hello John
?>

Constants in PHP
 Defining Constants Using define()
o Constants are declared using the define() function.
o Constants don’t use the $ symbol and are generally
written in uppercase by convention.
o Constants cannot be changed or undefined once they are
declared.
o Syntax:
define("PI", 3.14159);
define("SITE_NAME", "My Website");
 echo PI; // Outputs: 3.14159

 Characteristics of Constants
o Immutable: Once defined, their value cannot be changed.
o Global Scope: Constants have a global scope, so they can
be accessed from any part of the script, including inside
functions.
 The const Keyword for Constant Declaration in Classes
o Constants can also be defined within classes using the
const keyword.
o Unlike variables, constants declared in classes don’t
require the $ symbol and are accessible via the
ClassName::CONSTANT_NAME syntax.
o Syntax:
class MathConstants {
const PI = 3.14159;
}
echo MathConstants::PI; // Outputs: 3.14159

PHP Data type

Primitive Data Types

1. String
o A sequence of characters, used for text.

o Strings can be defined using single or double quotes.

Example:
<?php
$name = "Hello, World!";
echo $name; // Outputs: Hello, World!
?>
2. Integer
o Non-decimal numbers, positive or negative.

o No decimal points or commas allowed.

Example:
<?php
$number = 42;
echo $number; // Outputs: 42
?>
3. Float (Floating-Point Number)
o Numbers with decimal points or in exponential form.

Example:
<?php
$price = 19.99;
echo $price; // Outputs: 19.99
?>
4. Boolean
o Represents two possible values: true or false.

Example:
<?php
$isAvailable = true;
echo $isAvailable; // Outputs: 1 (true)
?>

Compound Data Types

1. Array
 o Used to store multiple values in a single variable.
o Indexed Array: Uses numeric indexes.

o Associative Array: Uses named keys.

o Multidimensional Array: Contains arrays within arrays.

Examples:
<?php
// Indexed Array
$colors = array("Red", "Green", "Blue");
echo $colors[1]; // Outputs: Green

// Associative Array
$age = array("Alice" => 25, "Bob" => 30);
echo $age["Alice"]; // Outputs: 25

// Multidimensional Array
$contacts = array(
array("Alice", "[email protected]"),
array("Bob", "[email protected]")
);
echo $contacts[0][1]; // Outputs: [email protected]
?>
2. Object
o An instance of a class containing properties and methods.

o Objects are created from custom classes.

Example:
<?php
class Car {
public $model;
function __construct($model) {
$this->model = $model;
}
}
$car = new Car("Toyota");
 echo $car->model; // Outputs: Toyota
?>

Special Data Types

1. NULL
o Represents a variable with no value. NULL is the only

possible value for this type.

Example:
<?php
$var = null;
var_dump($var); // Outputs: NULL
?>
2. Resource
o A special type that holds a reference to an external

resource, such as a database connection or file handle.

o Resources are usually created using specific PHP

functions.
Example:
<?php
$file = fopen("test.txt", "r");
var_dump($file); // Outputs: resource type with details
fclose($file); // Close the resource after use
?>

Operators and Expressions

Operators
Operators are symbols used to perform operations on variables
and values. PHP supports various operators that can be
grouped into the following categories:
1. Arithmetic Operators
Used for basic mathematical operations.
o + (Addition): $a + $b
 o - (Subtraction): $a - $b
o * (Multiplication): $a * $b

o / (Division): $a / $b

o % (Modulus): $a % $b

o ** (Exponentiation): $a ** $b

2. Assignment Operators
Used to assign values to variables, sometimes with arithmetic
operations.
o = (Assignment): $a = $b

o += (Add and assign): $a += $b (same as $a = $a + $b)

o -= (Subtract and assign): $a -= $b

o *= (Multiply and assign): $a *= $b

o /= (Divide and assign): $a /= $b

o %= (Modulus and assign): $a %= $b

3. Comparison Operators
Used to compare values, resulting in Boolean outcomes (true or
false).
o == (Equal): $a == $b

o != or <> (Not equal): $a != $b

o === (Identical): $a === $b

o !== (Not identical): $a !== $b

o > (Greater than): $a > $b

o < (Less than): $a < $b

o >= (Greater than or equal): $a >= $b

o <= (Less than or equal): $a <= $b

o <=> (Spaceship): $a <=> $b (returns -1, 0, 1 based on

comparison)
4. Logical Operators
Used to combine conditional statements.
o && (And): $a && $b

o || (Or): $a || $b

o ! (Not): !$a
 o and, or, xor: These are alternative keywords for logical
operations.
5. String Operators
Used to concatenate strings.
o . (Concatenation): $a . $b (joins two strings)

o .= (Concatenation assignment): $a .= $b (appends $b to

$a)
6. Increment/Decrement Operators
Used to increase or decrease a variable's value by 1.
o ++$a (Pre-increment): Increments $a by 1, then returns

$a.
o $a++ (Post-increment): Returns $a, then increments by 1.

o --$a (Pre-decrement): Decrements $a by 1, then returns

$a.
o $a-- (Post-decrement): Returns $a, then decrements by 1.

Expressions
Expressions are combinations of variables, operators, and
values that produce a result.
For example, ($a + $b) * $c is an expression combining addition
and multiplication to evaluate to a single value.

Basics of HTML Forms

Forms in HTML are used to collect user input and send it to a
server for processing. PHP is often used as the backend to
handle form data.
1. Form Creation
A basic HTML form contains various input fields wrapped in
<form> tags. The form includes attributes like:
 action: URL where the form data will be sent.
 method: HTTP method to be used (GET or POST).
Example:
<form action="submit.php" method="post">
 <label for="name">Name:</label>
<input type="text" id="name" name="name">

<label for="email">Email:</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email">

<input type="submit" value="Submit">

</form>
2. Form Handling
When a form is submitted, the data from input fields is sent to
the server. PHP can handle the submitted data by accessing it
through $_GET or $_POST superglobal arrays, depending on the
method used.
Example: In submit.php:
$name = $_POST['name'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
echo "Name: " . $name;
echo "Email: " . $email;
3. Form Submission (GET and POST Methods)
 GET Method:
o Data is appended to the URL in key-value pairs.

o Limited to a small amount of data.

o Suitable for non-sensitive data and bookmarking.

Example:
<form action="submit.php" method="get">
<!-- Form fields -->
</form>
In submit.php, access the data using $_GET:
$name = $_GET['name'];
 POST Method:
o Data is sent in the HTTP request body, not visible in the

URL.
o Allows for a larger amount of data.
 o More secure for sensitive information.
Example:
<form action="submit.php" method="post">
<!-- Form fields -->
</form>
In submit.php, access the data using $_POST:
$name = $_POST['name'];
Examples of Handling GET and POST Requests in PHP
GET Method Example:
<form action="submit.php" method="get">
<label for="city">City:</label>
<input type="text" id="city" name="city">
<input type="submit" value="Search">
</form>
In submit.php:
$city = $_GET['city'];
echo "Searching for city: " . $city;
POST Method Example:
<form action="submit.php" method="post">
<label for="feedback">Feedback:</label>
<textarea id="feedback" name="feedback"></textarea>
<input type="submit" value="Submit Feedback">
</form>
In submit.php:
$feedback = $_POST['feedback'];
echo "Received feedback: " . $feedback;