Simply put, PHP is a server-side language used in the creation of interactive web applications as well as dynamic websites. Server-side means that the scripts are not executed on the computer you are using but on the computer, the page was requested from. The results are subsequently handed over to the computer that you are using then displayed in your browser.
What Does PHP Stand for?
Initially, the acronym PHP stood for ‘Personal Home Page’ and Rasmus Lerdorf was its original creator. However, it now has the recursive acronym “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.”
What Is It Used for?
PHP was created for use in producing dynamic web pages when building websites. Since it was created back in 1995, it has visibly changed the scenario of web design development. Today, over 20,000,000 of web servers and websites use PHP as a server-side programming language. This is almost 75 percent of all the websites in the world. Website content management systems that use PHP include Moodle and WordPress, and even sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and many blogs. PHP is one of the most popular server-side programming languages in the world today.
Why Choose PHP for Web Design?
PHP is the preferred choice since it is an open source, free software that is used globally by website developers. PHP is the ideal choice when it comes to cheap web design. The PHP group has provided the complete source code that enables users to build, extend, and customize web design depending on their needs. PHP is fully compatible with most of the operating systems including Linux, OS X, Mac, and Lennox. Also, it does support most of the Web servers currently in use including IIS and Apache.
As a server-side scripting language, there is no need to install PHP, and it requires less processor space. Put simply, it means that it does not affect the speed of your system. With the flexibility found in PHP along with the user-friendly design, usability, and scalability, it makes for one of the most versatile languages for the creation of web pages. One of the most attractive features of PHP is that it is quite easy to use whether you are a professional programmer or a complete newcomer. With PHP, you can be writing simple scripts in a matter of hours.
Do you know some PHP, but not sure what level of skill you possess? Test your knowledge of PHP coding with a PHP online test.
PHP’s dynamic content for web servers allows for users to focus on the server-side scripting languages. PHP has created a command line interface capability which can be used for standalone graphics applications. Users of PHP are not limited to HTML output but can easily use any text, such as XHTML as well as other XML file formatting. Users of PHP also have the ability to include images of other types including Flash movies and PDF files. These can be generated automatically then saved in a system as opposed to having to be printed out thereby forming a server-side cache for the dynamic content of a user.
Using PHP makes it easy to maintain search engine friendly websites and avoid complex web searches that can confuse the search engines. This is very important for reaching your SEO marketing targets. PHP also helps in the optimization of the speed of web pages considering that processing happens on the side of the server as opposed to that of the user. It is also easy to embed PHP into a page or an extension. This ensures the visibility of whichever script is on a web page, unlike JavaScript which is not viewable if disabled on a computer.
If you would like to enjoy the benefits PHP offers you, contact a web developer to see how it can be integrated into your website.
