PHP Basics

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language used for web development.
It is an open-source language, which means it is free to use and distribute.
PHP is executed on the server-side, and the resulting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code is sent to the client's web browser.

PHP was first released in 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf.
Initially, it was called "Personal Home Page Tools" and was used for tracking visitors to Lerdorf's online resume.
In 1997, PHP 3.0 was released, which added support for web forms and databases.
In 1999, PHP 4.0 was released, which added support for object-oriented programming.

Loose Typing: PHP is a dynamically-typed language, which means you don't need to declare variable types before using them.
Server-Side Scripting: PHP code is executed on the server, and the resulting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code is sent to the client's web browser.
Open-Source: PHP is free to use, modify, and distribute.
Cross-Platform: PHP can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
Large Community: PHP has a large and active community, which means there are many resources available for learning and troubleshooting.

Web Development: PHP is commonly used for web development, especially for building dynamic websites and web applications.
Content Management Systems: PHP is used in popular content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
E-commerce: PHP is used in popular e-commerce platforms such as Magento and OpenCart.
Social Networking: PHP is used in popular social networking platforms such as Facebook.

PHP code is enclosed in <?php and ?> tags.
PHP statements are terminated with a semicolon (;).
Variables are declared using the dollar sign ($) followed by the variable name.
Variables can be assigned using the assignment operator (=).
PHP has a wide range of built-in functions for tasks such as string manipulation, array manipulation, and database interaction.

PHP 5.x: Released in 2004, PHP 5.x added support for object-oriented programming and improved performance.
PHP 7.x: Released in 2015, PHP 7.x added support for scalar type declarations, return type declarations, and improved performance.
PHP 8.x: Released in 2020, PHP 8.x added support for just-in-time compilation, improved error handling, and improved performance.

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, a server-side scripting language used for web development.
It is an open-source language, free to use and distribute.

PHP was first released in 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf.
Initially called "Personal Home Page Tools", it was used for tracking visitors to Lerdorf's online resume.
PHP 3.0 was released in 1997, adding support for web forms and databases.
PHP 4.0 was released in 1999, adding support for object-oriented programming.

PHP is a dynamically-typed language, allowing for loose typing and no need to declare variable types before use.
PHP code is executed on the server, with resulting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code sent to the client's web browser.
PHP is free to use, modify, and distribute due to its open-source nature.
PHP can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems due to its cross-platform capability.
PHP has a large and active community, providing many resources for learning and troubleshooting.

PHP is commonly used for web development, particularly for building dynamic websites and web applications.
PHP is used in popular content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
PHP is used in popular e-commerce platforms such as Magento and OpenCart.
PHP is used in popular social networking platforms such as Facebook.

PHP code is enclosed in `` tags.
PHP statements are terminated with a semicolon (;).
Variables are declared using the dollar sign ($) followed by the variable name.
Variables can be assigned using the assignment operator (=).
PHP has a wide range of built-in functions for tasks like string manipulation, array manipulation, and database interaction.

PHP 5.x, released in 2004, added support for object-oriented programming and improved performance.
PHP 7.x, released in 2015, added support for scalar type declarations, return type declarations, and improved performance.
PHP 8.x, released in 2020, added support for just-in-time compilation, improved error handling, and improved performance.