PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely used open-source scripting language that is especially well suited for web development. This guide provides an introduction to using PHP for beginners.
What is PHP?
PHP is a server-side scripting language that is embedded in HTML. It is used to dynamically generate web page content like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. PHP code is executed on the server, generating the resulting web page that is sent to the client.
Some key features of PHP include:
- Works well with various databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc. to store, access and manage data.
- Can be embedded directly in HTML and mix with static content.
- Has built-in support for a wide range of web protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc.
- Supports a wide range of platforms like Linux, Windows, macOS, etc.
- Open source with a large community of developers.
Installing PHP
Before you can run any PHP script, you need to have PHP installed on your machine:
Windows
- Download the binary zip archive from php.net
- Extract the archive and move the entire folder to
C:\php - Add
C:\phpto your system’s PATH environment variable - Restart your command prompt/terminal to refresh changes
Linux/macOS
- Install using your distributions package manager, e.g.
apt,yum,dnf,brewetc. - Alternatively, compile from source code
This will install the PHP binary onto your system.
Running PHP Scripts
To run PHP code, you need to have a web server installed and configured. Popular choices include Apache and Nginx.
Here are some ways to run PHP scripts:
Built-in Web Server
PHP comes with a simple built-in web server for development purposes.
To start it, open your terminal/command prompt, navigate to the folder with your PHP files and run:
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php -S localhost:8000
This will start PHP’s built-in web server accessible at http://localhost:8000.
Apache
- Install Apache and enable the
mod_phpmodule. - Put your PHP files in the web root folder (
htdocson Windows,/var/www/htmlon Linux by default) - Access your PHP files through the web browser using
http://localhost/file.php
Nginx
- Install Nginx and configure it to handle
.phpfiles via FastCGI. - Put your PHP files in the standard web root folder.
- Access your scripts by browsing to their location.
Writing PHP Scripts
PHP scripts contain PHP code embedded with HTML. A simple script looks like:
php
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<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <?php echo "Hello World!"; ?> </body> </html>
Save this as hello.php and access through your web server. It will output “Hello World!”.
Some things to note:
- PHP code is enclosed within
<?php ?>tags - Use
echoorprintto output text - File should have
.phpextension - Code is executed on the server, output is sent to browser
This is a basic intro to running PHP scripts. For further learning, refer to PHP’s official documentation.
Summary
- PHP is a popular open-source language ideal for web development
- Install PHP and a web server like Apache to run scripts
- PHP code is enclosed in
<?php ?>tags - Save files with
.phpextension and access via your web server - Learn more about PHP from the official docs and community
With this getting started guide, you now have a basic understanding of how to use PHP for server-side web programming.
