PHP Tutorial: Learn PHP Programming for Free

What is PHP?
PHP is an open-source general purpose scripting language, widely used for website development. It is
developed by Rasmus Lerdorf. PHP stands for a recursive acronym PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.

PHP is the world’s most popular server-side programming language. Its latest version PHP 8.3.13,
released on October 24th, 2024.

PHP is a server-side scripting language that is embedded in HTML. PHP is a cross-platform language,
capable of running on all major operating system platforms and with most of the web server programs
such as Apache, IIS, lighttpd and nginx.

A large number of reusable classes and libraries are available on PEAR and Composer. PEAR (PHP
Extension and Application Repository) is a distribution system for reusable PHP libraries or classes.
Composer is a dependency management tool in PHP.

Why Learn PHP?

PHP one of the most preferred languages for creating interactive websites and web applications. PHP
scripts can be easily embedded into HTML. With PHP, you can build

Web Pages and Web-Based Applications

Content Management Systems, and

Ecommerce Applications etc.

A number of PHP based web frameworks have been developed to speed-up the web application
development. The examples are WordPress, Laravel, Symfony etc.

Explore our latest online courses and learn new skills at your own pace. Enroll and become a certified
expert to boost your career.

Advantages of Using PHP

PHP is a MUST for students and working professionals to become great Software Engineers, especially
when they are working in Web Development Domain.

Some of the most notable advantages of using PHP are listed below −

PHP is a multi-paradigm language that supports imperative, functional, object-oriented, and

procedural programming methodologies.
 PHP is a server-side scripting language that is embedded in HTML. It is used to manage
dynamic content, databases, session tracking, even build entire e-commerce sites.
PHP is integrated with a number of popular databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle,
Sybase, Informix, and Microsoft SQL Server.
PHP is pleasingly zippy in its execution, especially when compiled as an Apache module on the
Unix side. The MySQL server, once started, executes even very complex queries with huge
result sets in record-setting time.

PHP supports a number of protocols such as POP3, IMAP, and LDAP. PHP supports distributed
object architectures (COM and CORBA), which makes n-tier development possible.

PHP is forgiving: PHP language tries to be as forgiving as possible.

PHP has a familiar C-like syntax.

There are five important characteristics of PHP that make its practical nature possible: Simplicity,
Efficiency, Security, Flexibility, and Familiarity.

Hello World Using PHP

Just to give you a little excitement about PHP, I'm going to give you a small conventional PHP Hello
World program. You can try it using the Edit & Run button.

Open Compiler

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

Online PHP Compiler

Our PHP tutorial provides various examples to explain different concepts. We have provided an online
compiler, where you can write, save, run, and share your programs directly from your browser without
setting up any development environment. Practice PHP here: Online PHP compiler.

Audience
This PHP tutorial is designed for programmers who are completely unaware of PHP concepts but have
a basic understanding on computer programming.

Prerequisites
Before proceeding with this tutorial, all that you need to have is a basic understanding of computer
programming. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and databases will be an added advantage.
Download PHP
You can download PHP's latest version from its official websites. Here is the link to open the PHP
download page: PHP Downloads & Installation

Frequently Asked Questions about PHP

There are some very Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) about PHP, this section tries to answer them
briefly.

Do I Need Prior Programming Experience to Learn PHP?

PHP is that's relatively easy to learn, even for beginners with little or no programming experience. To
learn PHP, one needs to only have a basic understanding of computer programming, Internet, database,
and HTML. However, prior knowledge of any one programming knowledge is an additional advantage.
After learning the core PHP, you can the become proficient in any PHP web framework suitable for the
development of applications, such as WordPress, Laravel etc.

Is PHP Free to Use?

As PHP is open-source, it is free to use. You can also freely distribute the applications built with PHP.
The PHP license under which the PHP scripting language is released, implies that, The PHP code can be
redistributed in source or binary form. It also means its use and its many libraries and frameworks can
be used for both commercial and private use.

What are the Applications of PHP?

PHP is a server-side scripting language, optimized especially for building dynamic web applications.
Developers use PHP to develop applications like content management systems, blogging applications,
E-commerce applications, REST APIs etc. A number of PHP frameworks have been developed that are
suitable for building applications of a specific type. For example, WordPress is used for building
business websites and blogs. Similarly, Laravel is used in E-commerce platforms, Social networking
apps, and CRM systems.

How Do I Install PHP?

To run a PHP application, you need a server, a database server, and a PHP parser software. The most
preferred combination is an Apache server, MySQL database, and a PHP module. While one can install
all these components individually and configure them, the easiest way is to install pre-compiled binaries
bundled together. Examples are XAMPP, WAMP and LAMP.
XAMPP is a cross-platform and open-source web server stack package developed by Apache Friends. It
consists of the Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB database (an open-source fork of MySQL), and
interpreters fo PHP and Perl. The XAMPP software Cn be downloaded from
https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html.

What Tools and Technologies Work Well with PHP?

PHP is a server-side scripting language, that is optimized for building dynamic web applications. One or
more blocks of PHP script can be embedded inside HTML code. PHP works seamlessly with HTML and
JavaScript to manage the frontend tasks of a web application. Although you can use any database, PHP
is most commonly used along with a MySQL database as a backend of a web application. PHP
developers also use technologies such as CSS, Ajax, Bootstrap etc. for the development of web
applications.

Can PHP Be Used for Both Frontend and Backend Development?

The frontend of a typical web application deals with the design aspect. HTML, JavaScript and CSS
technologies are mainly used as the frontend tools. PHP on the other hand is a server-side
programming language. It is used to prepare algorithms for handling the processing logic, interacting
with the databases, and handling the security aspects. Hence, it can be said that PHP is primarily used
for backend development.

Are There Security Concerns with PHP?

PHP, like any other server-side technology is likely to be affected by security threats such as SQL
injection, cross-site attacks and cross-site forgery. As a PHP developer, it is important to take all the
necessary precautions.

What Are the Latest Features and Updates in PHP?

PHP language has been constantly evolving. In its latest version – PHP 8, a lot of new features have
been provided.

The JIT (Just in Time) compiler is one of the most important features that has enhanced the efficiency
of PHP.

The OPcache feature also improves PHP performance by storing precompiled script bytecode in shared
memory.

PHP 8 has also introduced new features such as named arguments to function, Union types and more.

How Long Will it Take to Master PHP?

The amount of time it takes to learn PHP varies from person to person. To learn PHP Basics it may take
1-2 months. To get Intermediate Skills, and additional period of 2-3 months may be needed to mater the
OOP concepts, and PHP frameworks, and building more complex projects. Learning PHP is an ongoing
process, where you can add proficiency in enhancing security, performance, and keeping up with PHP
trends.

What Resources Do I Need to Learn PHP?

The official documentation of PHP (https://www.php.net/docs.php) provides the detailed coverage of

PHP’s keywords, built-in functions and other features along with useful examples. The PHP tutorial from
TutorialsPoint (https://www.tutorialspoint.com/php/index.htm) is an extremely useful resources for
beginners who want to learn PHP. TutorialsPoint also provides video-based tutorials and certifications
to master PHP.