What is PHP

Introduction

PHP is a language that helps make websites work behind the scenes. It lets you create pages that can change and respond to what users do.

You want to build a website that shows different content to different users.

You need to save or get information from a database on a website.

You want to create forms that users can fill out and send data.

You want to make a website that can remember users when they come back.

You want to build a simple online store or blog.

Syntax

PHP

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

PHP code is written between <?php and ?> tags.

PHP runs on the server before the page is sent to the browser.

Examples

This prints 'Hello, world!' on the webpage.

PHP

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

This shows how to use a variable to print a name.

PHP

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

Sample Program

This program sets a name and prints a welcome message using PHP.

PHP

<?php
// Simple PHP program to greet a user
$user = "Friend";
echo "Welcome, $user!";
?>

Important Notes

PHP is mostly used for web development but can also be used for other tasks.

PHP code runs on the server, so users only see the result, not the code.

Summary

PHP helps make websites interactive and dynamic.

It runs on the server and sends results to the browser.

PHP code is written inside special tags and can print text or work with data.