What is PHP? Introduction & History

What is PHP?

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular open-source server-side scripting language designed for web development. PHP scripts are executed on the server, and the result is returned to the browser as plain HTML.
Originally standing for Personal Home Page, PHP is now a powerful tool used to build dynamic, database-driven websites. It’s fast, flexible, and compatible with almost all modern servers and operating systems.



Why Use PHP?

Here are a few reasons why PHP is a favorite for developers:

  • Open-source and Free
  • Cross-platform Compatibility (Windows, Linux, macOS)
  • Integration with Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
  • Large Community Support
  • Compatible with HTML and CSS

PHP powers over 75% of all websites on the internet, including platforms like WordPress, Facebook, and Wikipedia.



Brief History of PHP

Let’s walk through the evolution of PHP from its humble beginnings to becoming a dominant web language:

  • 1994 – The Birth of PHP
    Created by Rasmus Lerdorf, PHP was initially a simple set of CGI scripts written in C to track visits to his online resume. It was called "Personal Home Page Tools".
  • 1995 – PHP 1.0 Released
    Public release of PHP, which included basic functionality like form handling and database interaction.
  • 1997 – PHP/FI 2.0
    More structured and introduced an HTML-embedded scripting language. At this point, developers could embed PHP code directly into HTML files.
  • 1998 – PHP 3.0
    Completely rewritten by Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski. This version introduced more powerful features and better extensibility.
  • 2000 – PHP 4.0 (Powered by Zend Engine)
    Improved performance, session management, and support for object-oriented programming.
  • 2004 – PHP 5.0
    Major update with full OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) support, exceptions, and PDO (PHP Data Objects) for database interaction.
  • 2015 – PHP 7.0
    Huge performance boost (2x faster than PHP 5), scalar type declarations, and return type declarations.
  • 2020 – PHP 8.0
    Introduced Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, attributes, union types, and other powerful features.
  • Now – PHP 8.3+
    Continuous improvements with modern syntax and better performance, keeping PHP competitive in modern web development.


Facts About PHP

  • PHP code can be embedded directly into HTML using <?php ... ?> tags.
  • The Zend Engine is the core of PHP that interprets and executes code.
  • PHP is used in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.


Use Cases of PHP Today

  • Creating dynamic websites and applications
  • Building RESTful APIs
  • Powering e-commerce platforms
  • Developing CMS platforms
  • Automating server-side tasks


FAQs

  • Q1. What does PHP stand for?
    PHP stands for "Hypertext Preprocessor". It’s a recursive acronym.

  • Q2. Is PHP still relevant in 2025?
    Yes! PHP is still widely used in web development and supported by many CMS platforms.

  • Q3. What is the difference between PHP and JavaScript?
    PHP is executed on the server-side, while JavaScript runs in the browser (client-side).

  • Q4. Can I use PHP with MySQL?
    Absolutely! PHP + MySQL is one of the most common combinations for dynamic web apps.