Web Programming Lec1 PDF

Web Programming Lecture One Web Programming with PHP - Introduction to PHP M.Sc. Miran H.Aziz Outline ❑What is PHP? ❑Key Features of PHP ❑How PHP Works ❑PHP Syntax Basics ❑Applications of PHP ❑Setting Up PHP What is PHP? ❑PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. I...

Web Programming Lecture One Web Programming with PHP - Introduction to PHP M.Sc. Miran H.Aziz Outline ❑What is PHP? ❑Key Features of PHP ❑How PHP Works ❑PHP Syntax Basics ❑Applications of PHP ❑Setting Up PHP What is PHP? ❑PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. It’s a popular server-side scripting language used primarily for web development. ❑Developed in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf to track visits to his online resume. ❑Grew into a widely adopted language for web applications. ❑Powers approximately 80% of websites, including major sites like WordPress, Facebook, and Wikipedia. ❑PHP is particularly known for its ease of use, flexibility, and power in building dynamic web content.  What is PHP?(2) ❑Server-Side Execution: Unlike client-side languages like JavaScript, PHP scripts are executed on the server. The result (typically HTML) is sent to the client, meaning that users cannot see the PHP code itself, ensuring security. ❑Dynamic Content: PHP is often used to build dynamic websites, such as generating custom content for users based on input, handling forms, managing sessions, and interacting with databases. ❑Versatile Use: PHP can create entire websites from scratch, but it also excels at adding functionality to existing static HTML pages.  What is PHP?(3) ❑PHP runs on nearly every operating system, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. It also integrates with almost all major web servers, such as Apache, Nginx, and Microsoft IIS, giving developers flexibility when choosing a hosting platform. ❑One of PHP’s strongest features is its ability to interact with databases, especially with MySQL, making it perfect for building data-driven applications. PHP supports multiple database management systems, including PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQLite. ❑PHP can be embedded directly within HTML pages, allowing for seamless integration between static content (HTML) and dynamic content (PHP). The PHP code is enclosed within special tags () and can output content or perform logic before generating HTML for the client.  What is PHP?(4) ❑The PHP ecosystem is vast, with thousands of libraries, tools, and frameworks available, such as Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter. These frameworks help developers build complex applications faster and more efficiently. ❑The PHP community is one of the largest in the web development world, which means there is extensive documentation, tutorials, and support for developers.  Key Features of PHP ❑PHP is free to download, use, and modify. Being open-source, it is continually developed by a global community of developers. This also means PHP benefits from frequent updates and improvements, with no licensing costs. ❑PHP has a straightforward, beginner-friendly syntax, making it easy for newcomers to pick up quickly. It borrows elements from languages like C, Java, and Perl, which makes it familiar to experienced programmers. This ease of learning contributes to its widespread adoption. ❑PHP is cross-platform, meaning it can run on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, macOS, and others. This makes it highly flexible, allowing developers to work in their preferred environment.  Key Features of PHP(2) ❑PHP is primarily a server-side scripting language. This means the code is executed on the server, and the result is sent to the client’s web browser in the form of HTML. This process allows for secure handling of server-side tasks like database interactions, user authentication, and file management. ❑PHP allows developers to build dynamic websites where content can be generated in real-time, depending on user input or other factors. For example, you can retrieve data from a database and display it on a web page dynamically. ❑PHP can also be used to create, open, read, write, delete, and close files on the server.  Key Features of PHP(3) ❑PHP supports both procedural programming (writing code in a series of steps or functions) and object-oriented programming (OOP). This allows developers to use the style that best fits their project. OOP in PHP allows the use of objects, inheritance, and reusable classes, which improves code structure and maintainability. ❑PHP integrates seamlessly with many database management systems, making it perfect for creating dynamic, data-driven websites. Common databases include: ❑ MySQL – PostgreSQL – Oracle – SQLite – MongoDB ❑This flexibility allows PHP to handle various kinds of applications, from simple to complex ones. How PHP Works ❑Embedding PHP in HTML: ❑PHP can be directly embedded within HTML files, making it flexible for developers to switch between PHP and HTML seamlessly. ❑Server-Side Execution: ❑PHP code is processed on the server, not the client’s machine, resulting in a final HTML output that’s sent to the client’s browser. ❑Ensures security as code remains. How PHP Works(2) How PHP Works(3) PHP Syntax Basics ❑Variables: ❑Variables in PHP start with $ and do not require explicit type declaration. ❑Example: $username = "Alice"; ❑Data Types: ❑ PHP automatically determines the variable’s type based on its value (supports int, float, string, array, etc.). ❑Control Structures: ❑Common structures: if, for, while, and switch. ❑Functions: ❑PHP has many built-in functions and supports user-defined functions. Applications of PHP ❑CMS (Content Management Systems): ❑Popular CMS platforms like WordPress and Joomla are built with PHP. ❑E-commerce Platforms: ❑Frameworks like Magento are built with PHP, making PHP a preferred choice for online stores. ❑Social Networks: ❑Originally, Facebook relied heavily on PHP and contributed to its development by creating tools like the HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM) for better performance. ❑Forums and Wikis: ❑Examples include phpBB (for forums) and MediaWiki (the wiki software behind Wikipedia). Setting Up PHP ❑Local Server Environments: ❑ XAMPP, WAMP, and MAMP are popular local development environments that simplify PHP setup by bundling Apache, MySQL, and PHP. ❑Steps to Save and Run a PHP File: ❑ Create a.php file in your server’s root folder. ❑ Open a browser and navigate to http://localhost/yourfile.php to view the output. END