How PHP executes on the server

Introduction

PHP runs on the server to create web pages before sending them to your browser. This helps make websites dynamic and interactive.

When you want to show different content to users based on their actions.

When you need to get data from a database and display it on a webpage.

When you want to process form information submitted by users.

When you want to create a login system that checks user credentials.

When you want to generate web pages quickly without making the user wait.

Syntax

PHP

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

PHP code is written inside tags.

The server reads and runs PHP code before sending the page to the browser.

Examples

This PHP code prints "Hello, world!" on the webpage.

PHP

<?php
echo "Hello, world!";
?>

This code sets a variable and prints a greeting using it.

PHP

<?php
$name = "Alice";
echo "Hello, $name!";
?>

Sample Program

This program sets a message and prints it. The server runs this code and sends the result to the browser.

PHP

<?php
// Simple PHP script to show how PHP runs on the server
$message = "Welcome to my website!";
echo $message;
?>

Important Notes

PHP code runs only on the server, so users never see the PHP code itself.

The server converts PHP code into plain HTML before sending it to the browser.

You need a web server with PHP installed to run PHP scripts.

Summary

PHP runs on the server to create dynamic web pages.

The server processes PHP code and sends only the result to the browser.

PHP helps make websites interactive and personalized.