Definition of PHP

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. This general purpose scripting language is simple in nature and easy to use. PHP is freely available, widely used, and suited quite well for web development, in particular for creating the software that is used on the website. It was primarily designed for use with servers that used Linux. It is possible to embed PHP into the HTML that is typically included on webpages. The difference between HTML and PHP is that the software of the web browser reads the HTML, while the software for the web server reads the PHP.

With similar functions to both Perl and C, PHP is capable of connecting to databases as well as writing or reading files. Primarily, it provides the capability to insert server executable scripts into webpages. PHP is commonly used on platforms that include Solaris, Linux, and Unix. PHP is very popular in part because it is database driven.

External links:

• Wikipedia explanation of PHP
• PHP Developer resource
• W3 Schools PHP tutorials
• PHP scripts