PHP

PHP Overview

Php is a server side scripting language, designed primarily for use on web servers, but also used as a general purpose programming language. Php was created in the 1990s by Rasmus Lerdorf, and is fully Object Oriented.

The most common use case for PHP is in web development. Because PHP can be written along side HTML, and also because it integrates so well with HTML and other web technologies, you’ll often find it running on a web server.

PHP began as a set of rudimentary C programs designed to help it’s founder maintain his website’s homepage. But soon snowballed into a fully fledged language by 1997.

How PHP is Run

Generally PHP code is run using an interpreter which sits on the web sever, once the PHP code is executed a finished webpage is then sent to the user. This process allows for the creation of dynamic web pages, meaning aspects of the website can change dynamically depending on the result of executing the PHP code.

The most popular PHP interpreter is completly free and can be deployed on most webservers and operating systems. Because it’s free and portable PHP has become a staple in the web development world.

PHP utilizes a garbage collector and it’s syntax is based on a C, C++ style.

Choosing an IDE

Many developers choose to write PHP using a basic text editor, generally PHP will be written in the same enviornment as the HTML and front end technologies that it interacts with. Although several special IDE’s have been developed, some of the most popular include NetBeans, PHP Storm and Adobe DreamWeaver.