What is PHP?

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a powerful server-side scripting language used for developing static and dynamic websites or Web applications.

Key Features

Server-Side: All the processing happens on the web server, not in the user's browser.
Database Friendly: It works perfectly with MySQL, making it easy to handle user data.
Open Source: It is free to download and use for everyone.
Highly Compatible: Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Basic Syntax Example

PHP code is executed on the server, and the plain HTML result is sent back to the browser:

<?php
echo "Welcome to the world of PHP!";
?>

Why Use PHP?

PHP is the backbone of the internet. It powers WordPress, Wikipedia, and was the original language used to build Facebook. It is fast, secure, and has a massive community of developers.