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➲ Introduction:

This introduction will gives you the basic information, history and roles in web development using PHP.

☴ Overview:

  1. What is PHP?
  2. History and evolution
  3. Role in Web Development
  4. Benefits of Using PHP

✦ What is PHP?:

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is one of a server-side scripting language and specifically designed for web development. Which is widely used for creating dynamic and interactive web pages. PHP code executes on the web server before the resulting HTML content to the browser.

That means PHP can:

  • Access and manipulate databases,
  • Process user input from forms and requests,
  • Generate dynamic content based on different conditions and logics,
  • Create interactive features like user authentication and handling user data.

PHP code can be embedded within HTML files using special tags. When a web server receives a request for the web page, That server executes the PHP code first, then it generating HTML content that is then sent back to the user's browser.

✦ History and evolution:

  • 1994: Initial PHP version 1.0 released, It was created by Rasmus Lerdorf. As a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts to manage his personal website.
  • 1995: PHP 3.0 introduced, Which offering features like database access and forms processing. That gaining popularity for its simplicity and ease of use.
  • 1997-1998: During, PHP/FI (Fast Interpreter) released, That significantly improving performance.
  • 1999-2004: During, PHP 3 and 4 released, Which introducing features like object-oriented programming and database integration.
  • 2004-2010: During, PHP 5 and later versions focused on improvements for performance, security, introduced namespaces, closures, generators, traits and object-oriented programming.
  • 2010 and beyond: That emphasis on PHP related frameworks (like Laravel and Symfony) to streamline web development, provides possibility to integrate with modern technologies like JSON and REST APIs, and focus on security best practices.

Note: As of October 2024, PHP 8.1 is the current stable version.

✦ Role in Web Development:

PHP plays a crucial and important role in web development:

  • Building Web Applications: PHP can be used to create powerful, scalable and interactive web applications that go beyond the limits of static websites.
  • Dynamic Content Generation: PHP can interact with databases and other resources to generate customized content for each user.
  • Request Processing: It can handle user input from forms and user requests, validate and perform actions like storing data in databases, providing results and sending emails.
  • Server-Side Logic: PHP can perform complex calculations, data handling and database operations that are not possible with client-side languages.
  • Session Management: PHP can track user sessions and maintain identity and state across multiple pages.

✦ Benefits of Using PHP:

  • Open Source and Free: PHP is a free and open-source server-side scripting language, makes it accessible to anyone.
  • Large Community and Resources: PHP has a vast community of developers for support and a enormous amount of online resources for learning, support and troubleshooting.
  • Versatile and Scalable: It can be used from simple websites to large complex web applications and API development.
  • Integration with Various Technologies: PHP can easily integrate with databases, frameworks, and other web technologies.

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