What is PHP?
PHP is one of the most popular programming languages
Brief Summary
PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a programming language that is widely used in website development. It can be used to create interactive and dynamic web pages. PHP works well with HTML as it can be embedded directly into HTML code.
It’s through the PHP language, and other languages such as HTML, that we can build stuff on the worldwide web. Moreover, PHP is open-source, which means that everyone is free to use it. In fact, PHP has attained its popularity by leading open source web technology.
A website created using HTML is called a static website. A static website means that you’ll see the same content every time. HTML (HyperText Markup language) is the most fundamental code that the pages of the internet consist of. Although HTML is used to this day, technologies have evolved, and other languages exist capable of much more than HTML.
On the other hand, a dynamic website changes its content and adapts to its users through various forms of interaction. Dynamic websites can be created using the PHP language. The user can interact with the website in complex ways. For example, you can purchase a product or write a message – all possible due to dynamic websites. All websites consist of a certain part of HTML code. This is to provide the visitor’s browser with basic information on how the source code should be interpreted. Asides from that, the content should be dynamic and generated by scripts.
What is PHP used for?
If you’ve ever downloaded a WordPress installation, you’ll see that there are several files ending with .PHP. This is because WordPress uses PHP files and understands the PHP language.
PHP runs on a server; thus, when you type in a web address you want to visit, PHP is working in the background.
To be able to communicate with a computer, you must use a language that the computer understands. The text, the software, is called ‘source code’.
One of the most popular programming languages is, in fact, PHP. If you combine MariaDB with PHP, you can build websites of all types of sizes.
PHP scripts may seem incomprehensible, but it has a significant job. PHP takes care that the source code is transformed into the web pages that you see that are filled with text, images, and other content that we humans, who can’t read codes, can see and use.
PHP examples
While on the topic of WordPress, when you’re trying to log into your WordPress dashboard, the login request is sent to a server. PHP will talk to the database and enable it to let you log in to your dashboard.
Another example, also relating to WordPress, is that PHP also downloads the content of a website or page you want to visit. Typically, all content is stored in a database, but with the help of the PHP language, PHP communicates with the database to let it know that content is needed.
PHP hosting with one.com
PHP hosting with one.com will enable you with a user-friendly and advanced website. Our MariaDB database and PHP make up the ideal combination for developing websites that are varied, rich with content, and enable interactive user experiences. In addition, using these tools will attract and entice customers to spend time on your website as you’re engaging and stimulating their interest, especially if you have an e-commerce website.
Both PHP and MariaDB are included in all web space subscriptions with one.com.
The importance of PHP
PHP and MariaDB enable you to create a webshop. Thanks to PHP, it’ll register that someone has put an item in a shopping cart. In addition, PHP will generate HTML code, some text, and perhaps some graphics that enables you to see a shopping cart on the checkout page. Finally, thanks to the PHP language, we can send a receipt to a customer after making their purchase.
To be able to use PHP, you need a database to store all your data. That’s why we offer MariaDB at one.com; they work perfectly together.
Additionally, it’s the database that stores information on all products/services purchased. Thus, the database enables PHP to gather the information needed and send receipts to customers.
