Chances are that if you’ve been around the Internet
long enough, you’ve heard of server-side scripting languages
such as PERL, ASP and ColdFusion. These are all popular languages
that are used to add interactivity to Web sites, but one stands
out from the crowd in terms of usability, power, and, yes,
price: the PHP scripting language. Initially developed in
1995 by North Carolina programmer Rasmus Lerdorf, PHP has
since blossomed into one of the leading open-source, cross-platform
scripting languages available. This is due, in large part,
to the worldwide community of coders that contributes to its
development. Unlike proprietary scripting languages like ASP
and ColdFusion, PHP’s source code is freely available
for peer review and contributions. This is, of course, the
essence of open-source software development, but why is it
that PHP in particular has gained such popularity among Web
developers when there are other open-source alternatives,
such as good old-fashioned PERL CGI scripts?
One very strong reason is that PHP, unlike PERL CGI scripts,
is scalable and fast. Instead of requiring the server to start
a new process in the operating system’s kernel for each
new request, which uses both CPU time and memory, PHP can
run as a part of the Web server itself, which saves a considerable
amount of processing time when dealing with multiple requests.
This decreased processing time means that PHP can be used
for high-traffic sites that cannot afford to have their performance
hampered by relatively slow CGI scripts.
In addition to its scalability and speed, another usability
factor that sets PHP apart is its ease of use. The PHP language
is considered to be a mix between C and PERL, and it draws
from the best features of each parent language, while adding
unique features of its own. For example, PHP code can be embedded
within standard HTML documents without using additional print
statements or calling separate scripts to perform the processing
tasks. In practice, this allows for very flexible programming
practices. Although a working knowledge of HTML is a prerequisite
for PHP development, PHP’s basic functions can be learned
quickly and applied to a wide range of common Webmaster-related
projects, such as order forms, e-mail responses, and interactive
Web pages.
Contributing to the power of the PHP language, is its native
support for leading relational database platforms, including
MySQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL. Platform-specific functions
are built into the language for 12 databases in all. This
native support for database platforms is a boon to any site
that needs to track user information, store product data,
or collect sales information.
Last but not least, because PHP is open-source, it is essentially
free to use. Almost all professional Unix-based Web hosts
offer PHP as an included option with hosting accounts. Be
sure to check with your host to see if it is available to
you.
This article is meant to be an introduction to the PHP language
and not a tutorial, but have no fear—here are several
first-rate sites that have articles that will guide you along
in beginning your PHP development projects:
