The document provides an overview of PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), which is a widely used open-source scripting language used for web development. PHP code is executed on the server and generates HTML that is sent to the browser. PHP can connect to databases, collect form data, send/receive cookies, and more. It runs on many platforms and servers and is easy to learn. The document also covers basic PHP syntax, comments, variables, variable scope, and how to use global and static variables.