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What Is PHP

PHP is a widely used open source scripting language that can be used to create dynamic web pages. PHP code is executed on the server and generates HTML that is sent to the browser. PHP files have a .php extension and can contain HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP code. PHP can be used to collect form data, modify databases, send and receive cookies, and more. It runs on many platforms and servers and is free to download and use.

Uploaded by

horrificmail1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
43 views

What Is PHP

PHP is a widely used open source scripting language that can be used to create dynamic web pages. PHP code is executed on the server and generates HTML that is sent to the browser. PHP files have a .php extension and can contain HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP code. PHP can be used to collect form data, modify databases, send and receive cookies, and more. It runs on many platforms and servers and is free to download and use.

Uploaded by

horrificmail1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is PHP?

 PHP is an acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor"


 PHP is a widely-used, open source scripting language
 PHP scripts are executed on the server
 PHP is free to download and use

PHP is an amazing and popular language!

It is powerful enough to be at the core of the biggest blogging system on the


web (WordPress)!
It is deep enough to run large social networks!
It is also easy enough to be a beginner's first server side language!

What is a PHP File?


 PHP files can contain text, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP code
 PHP code is executed on the server, and the result is returned to the
browser as plain HTML
 PHP files have extension ".php"

What Can PHP Do?


 PHP can generate dynamic page content
 PHP can create, open, read, write, delete, and close files on the server
 PHP can collect form data
 PHP can send and receive cookies
 PHP can add, delete, modify data in your database
 PHP can be used to control user-access
 PHP can encrypt data

With PHP you are not limited to output HTML. You can output images, PDF files,
and even Flash movies. You can also output any text, such as XHTML and XML.

Why PHP?
 PHP runs on various platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, etc.)
 PHP is compatible with almost all servers used today (Apache, IIS, etc.)
 PHP supports a wide range of databases
 PHP is free. Download it from the official PHP resource: www.php.net
 PHP is easy to learn and runs efficiently on the server side

What's new in PHP 7


 PHP 7 is much faster than the previous popular stable release (PHP 5.6)
 PHP 7 has improved Error Handling
 PHP 7 supports stricter Type Declarations for function arguments
 PHP 7 supports new operators (like the spaceship operator: <=>)

PHP Installation
What Do I Need?
To start using PHP, you can:

 Find a web host with PHP and MySQL support


 Install a web server on your own PC, and then install PHP and MySQL

Use a Web Host With PHP Support


If your server has activated support for PHP you do not need to do anything.

Just create some .php files, place them in your web directory, and the server will
automatically parse them for you.

You do not need to compile anything or install any extra tools.

Because PHP is free, most web hosts offer PHP support.

Set Up PHP on Your Own PC


However, if your server does not support PHP, you must:

 install a web server


 install PHP
 install a database, such as MySQL

PHP Online Compiler / Editor


<?php
$txt = "PHP";
echo "I love $txt!";
?>

A PHP script is executed on the server, and the plain HTML result is sent
back to the browser.

Basic PHP Syntax


A PHP script can be placed anywhere in the document.

A PHP script starts with <?php and ends with ?>:

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

The default file extension for PHP files is ".php".

A PHP file normally contains HTML tags, and some PHP scripting code.

Below, we have an example of a simple PHP file, with a PHP script that uses a
built-in PHP function "echo" to output the text "Hello World!" on a web page:

Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<h1>My first PHP page</h1>

<?php
echo "Hello World!";
?>
</body>
</html>

PHP statements end with a semicolon (;).

PHP Case Sensitivity


In PHP, keywords (e.g. if, else, while, echo, etc.), classes, functions, and user-
defined functions are not case-sensitive.

In the example below, all three echo statements below are equal and legal:

Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
ECHO "Hello World!<br>";
echo "Hello World!<br>";
EcHo "Hello World!<br>";
?>

</body>
</html>

However; all variable names are case-sensitive!

Look at the example below; only the first statement will display the value of
the $color variable! This is because $color, $COLOR, and $coLOR are treated as three
different variables:

Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
$color = "red";
echo "My car is " . $color . "<br>";
echo "My house is " . $COLOR . "<br>";
echo "My boat is " . $coLOR . "<br>";
?>

</body>
</html>

Comments in PHP
A comment in PHP code is a line that is not executed as a part of the program.
Its only purpose is to be read by someone who is looking at the code.

Comments can be used to:

 Let others understand your code


 Remind yourself of what you did - Most programmers have experienced
coming back to their own work a year or two later and having to re-figure
out what they did. Comments can remind you of what you were thinking
when you wrote the code

PHP supports several ways of commenting:

Example
Syntax for single-line comments:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
// This is a single-line comment

# This is also a single-line comment


?>

</body>
</html>

Example
Syntax for multiple-line comments:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
/*
This is a multiple-lines comment block
that spans over multiple
lines
*/
?>

</body>
</html>

Example
Using comments to leave out parts of the code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
// You can also use comments to leave out parts of a code line
$x = 5 /* + 15 */ + 5;
echo $x;
?>

</body>
</html>

PHP Variables
Variables are "containers" for storing information.
Creating (Declaring) PHP Variables
In PHP, a variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable:

Example
<?php
$txt = "Hello world!";
$x = 5;
$y = 10.5;
?>

After the execution of the statements above, the variable $txt will hold the
value Hello world!, the variable $x will hold the value 5, and the
variable $y will hold the value 10.5.

Note: When you assign a text value to a variable, put quotes around the value.

Note: Unlike other programming languages, PHP has no command for declaring
a variable. It is created the moment you first assign a value to it.

Think of variables as containers for storing data.

PHP Variables
A variable can have a short name (like x and y) or a more descriptive name
(age, carname, total_volume).

Rules for PHP variables:

 A variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable
 A variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character
 A variable name cannot start with a number
 A variable name can only contain alpha-numeric characters and
underscores (A-z, 0-9, and _ )
 Variable names are case-sensitive ($age and $AGE are two different
variables)

Remember that PHP variable names are case-sensitive!


Output Variables
The PHP echo statement is often used to output data to the screen.

The following example will show how to output text and a variable:

Example
<?php
$txt = "W3Schools.com";
echo "I love $txt!";
?>

The following example will produce the same output as the example above:

Example
<?php
$txt = "W3Schools.com";
echo "I love " . $txt . "!";
?>

The following example will output the sum of two variables:

Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 4;
echo $x + $y;
?>

PHP is a Loosely Typed Language


In the example above, notice that we did not have to tell PHP which data type
the variable is.

PHP automatically associates a data type to the variable, depending on its


value. Since the data types are not set in a strict sense, you can do things like
adding a string to an integer without causing an error.
In PHP 7, type declarations were added. This gives an option to specify the data
type expected when declaring a function, and by enabling the strict
requirement, it will throw a "Fatal Error" on a type mismatch.

You will learn more about strict and non-strict requirements, and data type
declarations in the PHP Functions chapter.

PHP Variables Scope


PHP Variables Scope
In PHP, variables can be declared anywhere in the script.

The scope of a variable is the part of the script where the variable can be
referenced/used.

PHP has three different variable scopes:

 local
 global
 static

Global and Local Scope


A variable declared outside a function has a GLOBAL SCOPE and can only be
accessed outside a function:

Example
Variable with global scope:

<?php
$x = 5; // global scope

function myTest() {
// using x inside this function will generate an error
echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();
echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>

A variable declared within a function has a LOCAL SCOPE and can only be
accessed within that function:

Example
Variable with local scope:

<?php
function myTest() {
$x = 5; // local scope
echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();

// using x outside the function will generate an error


echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>

PHP The global Keyword


The global keyword is used to access a global variable from within a function.

To do this, use the global keyword before the variables (inside the function):

Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 10;

function myTest() {
global $x, $y;
$y = $x + $y;
}

myTest();
echo $y; // outputs 15
?>
PHP also stores all global variables in an array called $GLOBALS[index].
The index holds the name of the variable. This array is also accessible from
within functions and can be used to update global variables directly.

The example above can be rewritten like this:

Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 10;

function myTest() {
$GLOBALS['y'] = $GLOBALS['x'] + $GLOBALS['y'];
}

myTest();
echo $y; // outputs 15
?>

PHP The static Keyword


Normally, when a function is completed/executed, all of its variables are
deleted. However, sometimes we want a local variable NOT to be deleted. We
need it for a further job.

To do this, use the static keyword when you first declare the variable:

Example
<?php
function myTest() {
static $x = 0;
echo $x;
$x++;
}

myTest();
myTest();
myTest();
?>
Then, each time the function is called, that variable will still have the
information it contained from the last time the function was called.

Note: The variable is still local to the function.

PHP Data Types


Variables can store data of different types, and different data types can do
different things.

PHP supports the following data types:

 String
 Integer
 Float (floating point numbers - also called double)
 Boolean
 Array
 Object
 NULL
 Resource

PHP String
A string is a sequence of characters, like "Hello world!".

A string can be any text inside quotes. You can use single or double quotes:

Example
<?php
$x = "Hello world!";
$y = 'Hello world!';

echo $x;
echo "<br>";
echo $y;
?>
PHP Integer
An integer data type is a non-decimal number between -2,147,483,648 and
2,147,483,647.

Rules for integers:

 An integer must have at least one digit


 An integer must not have a decimal point
 An integer can be either positive or negative
 Integers can be specified in: decimal (base 10), hexadecimal (base 16),
octal (base 8), or binary (base 2) notation

In the following example $x is an integer. The PHP var_dump() function returns


the data type and value:

Example
<?php
$x = 5985;
var_dump($x);
?>

PHP Float
A float (floating point number) is a number with a decimal point or a number in
exponential form.

In the following example $x is a float. The PHP var_dump() function returns the
data type and value:

Example
<?php
$x = 10.365;
var_dump($x);
?>

PHP Boolean
A Boolean represents two possible states: TRUE or FALSE.
$x = true;
$y = false;

Booleans are often used in conditional testing. You will learn more about
conditional testing in a later chapter of this tutorial.

PHP Array
An array stores multiple values in one single variable.

In the following example $cars is an array. The PHP var_dump() function


returns the data type and value:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo","BMW","Toyota");
var_dump($cars);
?>

You will learn a lot more about arrays in later chapters of this tutorial.

PHP Object
Classes and objects are the two main aspects of object-oriented programming.

A class is a template for objects, and an object is an instance of a class.

When the individual objects are created, they inherit all the properties and
behaviors from the class, but each object will have different values for the
properties.

Let's assume we have a class named Car. A Car can have properties like model,
color, etc. We can define variables like $model, $color, and so on, to hold the
values of these properties.
When the individual objects (Volvo, BMW, Toyota, etc.) are created, they inherit
all the properties and behaviors from the class, but each object will have
different values for the properties.

If you create a __construct() function, PHP will automatically call this function
when you create an object from a class.

Example
<?php
class Car {
public $color;
public $model;
public function __construct($color, $model) {
$this->color = $color;
$this->model = $model;
}
public function message() {
return "My car is a " . $this->color . " " . $this->model . "!";
}
}

$myCar = new Car("black", "Volvo");


echo $myCar -> message();
echo "<br>";
$myCar = new Car("red", "Toyota");
echo $myCar -> message();
?>

PHP NULL Value


Null is a special data type which can have only one value: NULL.

A variable of data type NULL is a variable that has no value assigned to it.

Tip: If a variable is created without a value, it is automatically assigned a value


of NULL.

Variables can also be emptied by setting the value to NULL:

Example
<?php
$x = "Hello world!";
$x = null;
var_dump($x);
?>

PHP Resource
The special resource type is not an actual data type. It is the storing of a
reference to functions and resources external to PHP.

A common example of using the resource data type is a database call.


PHP settype() Function
Example
Convert variables to specific types:

<?php
$a = "32"; // string
settype($a, "integer"); // $a is now integer

$b = 32; // integer
settype($b, "string"); // $b is now string

$c = true; // boolean
settype($c, "integer"); // $c is now integer (1)
?>

Definition and Usage


The settype() function converts a variable to a specific type.

Syntax
settype(variable, type);

Parameter Values
Parameter Description

variable Required. Specifies the variable to convert


type Required. Specifies the type to convert variable to. The possible types are:

boolean, bool, integer, int, float, double, string, array, object, null

PHP Operators
Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.

PHP divides the operators in the following groups:

 Arithmetic operators
 Assignment operators
 Comparison operators

Operator Name Example Result

+ Addition $x + $y Sum of $x and $y

- Subtraction $x - $y Difference of $x and $y

* Multiplication $x * $y Product of $x and $y

/ Division $x / $y Quotient of $x and $y


% Modulus $x % $y Remainder of $x divided by $y

** Exponentiation $x ** $y Result of raising $x to the $y'th


power

 Increment/Decrement operators
 Logical operators
 String operators
 Array operators
 Conditional assignment operators

PHP Assignment Operators


Assignmen Same as... Description
t

x=y x=y The left operand gets set to the value of the expression on
the right

x += y x=x+y Addition

x -= y x=x-y Subtraction

x *= y x=x*y Multiplication

x /= y x=x/y Division

x %= y x=x%y Modulus

The PHP assignment operators are used with numeric values to write a value to
a variable.

The basic assignment operator in PHP is "=". It means that the left operand
gets set to the value of the assignment expression on the right.

PHP Comparison Operators


The PHP comparison operators are used to compare two values (number or
string):
Operator Name Example Result

== Equal $x == $y Returns true if $x is equal to $y

=== Identical $x === Returns true if $x is equal to $y, and they are of
$y the same type

!= Not equal $x != $y Returns true if $x is not equal to $y

<> Not equal $x <> $y Returns true if $x is not equal to $y

!== Not $x !== Returns true if $x is not equal to $y, or they are
identical $y not of the same type

> Greater $x > $y Returns true if $x is greater than $y


than

< Less than $x < $y Returns true if $x is less than $y

>= Greater $x >= $y Returns true if $x is greater than or equal to $y


than or
equal to

Less than $x <= $y Returns true if $x is less than or equal to $y


or equal
to

<=> Spaceship $x <=> Returns an integer less than, equal to, or greater
$y than zero, depending on if $x is less than, equal
to, or greater than $y. Introduced in PHP 7.
PHP Increment / Decrement Operators
Operator Name Description

++$x Pre-increment Increments $x by one, then returns $x

$x++ Post-increment Returns $x, then increments $x by one

--$x Pre-decrement Decrements $x by one, then returns $x

$x-- Post-decrement Returns $x, then decrements $x by one

The PHP increment operators are used to increment a variable's value.

The PHP decrement operators are used to decrement a variable's value.

PHP Logical Operators


The PHP logical operators are used to combine conditional statements.

Operator Name Example Result

And And $x and $y True if both $x and $y are true

Or Or $x or $y True if either $x or $y is true


Xor Xor $x xor $y True if either $x or $y is true, but not
both

&& And $x && $y True if both $x and $y are true

|| Or $x || $y True if either $x or $y is true

! Not !$x True if $x is not true

PHP String Operators


PHP has two operators that are specially designed for strings.

Operator Name Exa Result Sh


mpl o
e w
it

Concate $txt1 Concate Try


Operator Name Example Result it »
nation . nation
$txt2 of $txt1
and
$txt2
+ Union $x + $y Union of $x and $y

== Equality $x == $y Returns true if $x and $y have the same


key/value pairs

=== Identity $x === $y Returns true if $x and $y have the same


key/value pairs in the same order and of the
same types

!= Inequality $x != $y Returns true if $x is not equal to $y

<> Inequality $x <> $y Returns true if $x is not equal to $y

!== Non-identity $x !== $y Returns true if $x is not identical to $y

PHP Array Operators


The PHP array operators are used to compare arrays.
PHP Conditional Assignment Operators
The PHP conditional assignment operators are used to set a value depending on
conditions:

Operator Name Example Result

?: Ternary $x Returns the value of $x.


The value of $x
= expr1 ? expr2 : expr3 is expr2 if expr1 = TRUE.
The value of $x
is expr3 if expr1 = FALSE

?? Null coalescing $x = expr1 ?? expr2 Returns the value of $x.


The value of $x
is expr1 if expr1 exists, and is
not NULL.
If expr1 does not exist, or is
NULL, the value of $x is expr2.
Introduced in PHP 7

PHP Conditional Statements


Very often when you write code, you want to perform different actions for
different conditions. You can use conditional statements in your code to do this.

In PHP we have the following conditional statements:

 if statement - executes some code if one condition is true


 if...else statement - executes some code if a condition is true and
another code if that condition is false
 if...elseif...else statement - executes different codes for more than
two conditions
 switch statement - selects one of many blocks of code to be executed
PHP - The if Statement
The if statement executes some code if one condition is true.

Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if condition is true;
}Example

Output "Have a good day!" if the current time (HOUR) is less than 20:

<?php
$t = date("H");

if ($t < "20") {


echo "Have a good day!";
}

?> PHP - The if...else Statement


The if...else statement executes some code if a condition is true and another
code if that condition is false.

Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if condition is true;
} else {
code to be executed if condition is false;
}

Example
Output "Have a good day!" if the current time is less than 20, and "Have a good
night!" otherwise:

<?php
$t = date("H");

if ($t < "20") {


echo "Have a good day!";
} else {
echo "Have a good night!";
}
?>

PHP - The if...elseif...else Statement


The if...elseif...else statement executes different codes for more than two
conditions.

Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if this condition is true;
} elseif (condition) {
code to be executed if first condition is false and this condition is
true;
} else {
code to be executed if all conditions are false;
}

Example
Output "Have a good morning!" if the current time is less than 10, and "Have a
good day!" if the current time is less than 20. Otherwise it will output "Have a
good night!":

<?php
$t = date("H");

if ($t < "10") {


echo "Have a good morning!";
} elseif ($t < "20") {
echo "Have a good day!";
} else {
echo "Have a good night!";
}
?>
PHP switch Statement
The switch statement is used to perform different actions based on different
conditions.

The PHP switch Statement


Use the switch statement to select one of many blocks of code to be
executed.
Syntax
switch (n) {
case label1:
code to be executed if n=label1;
break;
case label2:
code to be executed if n=label2;
break;
case label3:
code to be executed if n=label3;
break;
...
default:
code to be executed if n is different from all labels;
}

This is how it works: First we have a single expression n (most often a


variable), that is evaluated once. The value of the expression is then compared
with the values for each case in the structure. If there is a match, the block of
code associated with that case is executed. Use break to prevent the code from
running into the next case automatically. The default statement is used if no
match is found.

Example
<?php
$favcolor = "red";

switch ($favcolor) {
case "red":
echo "Your favorite color is red!";
break;
case "blue":
echo "Your favorite color is blue!";
break;
case "green":
echo "Your favorite color is green!";
break;
default:
echo "Your favorite color is neither red, blue, nor green!";
}
?>
The PHP while Loop
The while loop executes a block of code as long as the specified condition is
true.

Syntax
while (condition is true) {
code to be executed;
}

Examples
The example below displays the numbers from 1 to 5:
<?php
$x = 1;

while($x <= 5) {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
}
?>

Example Explained
 $x = 1; - Initialize the loop counter ($x), and set the start value to 1
 $x <= 5 - Continue the loop as long as $x is less than or equal to 5
 $x++; - Increase the loop counter value by 1 for each iteration

This example counts to 100 by tens:

Example
<?php
$x = 0;

while($x <= 100) {


echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x+=10;
}
?>

Example Explained
 $x = 0; - Initialize the loop counter ($x), and set the start value to 0
 $x <= 100 - Continue the loop as long as $x is less than or equal to 100
 $x+=10; - Increase the loop counter value by 10 for each iteration

The PHP do...while Loop


The do...while loop will always execute the block of code once, it will then check
the condition, and repeat the loop while the specified condition is true.
Syntax
do {
code to be executed;
} while (condition is true);

Examples
The example below first sets a variable $x to 1 ($x = 1). Then, the do while
loop will write some output, and then increment the variable $x with 1. Then
the condition is checked (is $x less than, or equal to 5?), and the loop will
continue to run as long as $x is less than, or equal to 5:

Example
<?php
$x = 1;

do {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
} while ($x <= 5);
?>

Note: In a do...while loop the condition is tested AFTER executing the


statements within the loop. This means that the do...while loop will execute its
statements at least once, even if the condition is false. See example below.

This example sets the $x variable to 6, then it runs the loop, and then the
condition is checked:

Example
<?php
$x = 6;

do {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
} while ($x <= 5);
?>
The PHP for Loop
The for loop is used when you know in advance how many times the script
should run.

Syntax
for (init counter; test counter; increment counter) {
code to be executed for each iteration;
}

Parameters:

 init counter: Initialize the loop counter value


 test counter: Evaluated for each loop iteration. If it evaluates to TRUE,
the loop continues. If it evaluates to FALSE, the loop ends.
 increment counter: Increases the loop counter value

Examples
The example below displays the numbers from 0 to 10:

Example
<?php
for ($x = 0; $x <= 10; $x++) {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
}
?>

Example Explained
 $x = 0; - Initialize the loop counter ($x), and set the start value to 0
 $x <= 10; - Continue the loop as long as $x is less than or equal to 10
 $x++ - Increase the loop counter value by 1 for each iteration

This example counts to 100 by tens:

Example
<?php
for ($x = 0; $x <= 100; $x+=10) {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
}
?>

Example Explained
 $x = 0; - Initialize the loop counter ($x), and set the start value to 0
 $x <= 100; - Continue the loop as long as $x is less than or equal to 100
 $x+=10 - Increase the loop counter value by 10 for each iteration

The PHP foreach Loop


The foreach loop works only on arrays, and is used to loop through each
key/value pair in an array.

Syntax
foreach ($array as $value) {
code to be executed;
}

For every loop iteration, the value of the current array element is assigned to
$value and the array pointer is moved by one, until it reaches the last array
element.

Examples
The following example will output the values of the given array ($colors):

Example
<?php
$colors = array("red", "green", "blue", "yellow");

foreach ($colors as $value) {


echo "$value <br>";
}
?>

The following example will output both the keys and the values of the given
array ($age):
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");

foreach($age as $x => $val) {


echo "$x = $val<br>";
}
?>

PHP Break
You have already seen the break statement used in an earlier chapter of this
tutorial. It was used to "jump out" of a switch statement.

The break statement can also be used to jump out of a loop.

This example jumps out of the loop when x is equal to 4:

Example
<?php
for ($x = 0; $x < 10; $x++) {
if ($x == 4) {
break;
}
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
}
?>

PHP Continue
The continue statement breaks one iteration (in the loop), if a specified condition
occurs, and continues with the next iteration in the loop.

This example skips the value of 4:

Example
<?php
for ($x = 0; $x < 10; $x++) {
if ($x == 4) {
continue;
}
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
}
?>

Break and Continue in While Loop


You can also use break and continue in while loops:

Break Example
<?php
$x = 0;

while($x < 10) {


if ($x == 4) {
break;
}
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
}
?>

Continue Example
<?php
$x = 0;

while($x < 10) {


if ($x == 4) {
$x++;
continue;
}
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
}
?>

Php Script
PHP is a server side scripting language. That is used to
develop Static websites or Dynamic websites or Web
applications. PHP stands for Hypertext Pre-processor, that
earlier stood for Personal Home Pages. PHP scripts can
only be interpreted on a server that has PHP installed.

Difference between Server Side Scripting and Client Side


Scripting

1. Client-side scripting :
Web browsers execute client-side scripting. It is used when browsers have all
code. Source code is used to transfer from webserver to user’s computer over
the internet and run directly on browsers. It is also used for validations and
functionality for user events.
It allows for more interactivity. It usually performs several actions without going
to the user. It cannot be basically used to connect to databases on a web
server. These scripts cannot access the file system that resides in the web
browser. Pages are altered on basis of the user’s choice. It can also be used to
create “cookies” that store data on the user’s computer.

2. Server-side scripting :
Web servers are used to execute server-side scripting. They are basically used
to create dynamic pages. It can also access the file system residing at the
webserver. A server-side environment that runs on a scripting language is a
web server.
Scripts can be written in any of a number of server-side scripting languages
available. It is used to retrieve and generate content for dynamic pages. It is
used to require to download plugins. In this load times are generally faster than
client-side scripting. When you need to store and retrieve information a
database will be used to contain data. It can use huge resources of the server.
It reduces client-side computation overhead. The server sends pages to the
request of the user/client.

Difference between client-side scripting and server-side scripting :


Client-side scripting Server-side scripting

Source code is not visible to the user because its


output
of server-sideside is an HTML page.
Source code is visible to the user.

Its primary function is to manipulate and provide


Its main function is to provide the access to the respective database as per the
requested output to the end user. request.

In this any server-side technology can be used


and it does not
It usually depends on the browser and depend on the client.
its version.

It runs on the user’s computer. It runs on the webserver.

There are many advantages linked


with this like faster. The primary advantage is its ability to highly
response times, a more interactive customize, response
application. requirements, access rights based on user.

It does not provide security for data. It provides more security for data.

It is a technique used in web It is a technique that uses scripts on the


development in which scripts run on webserver to produce a response that is
the client’s browser. customized for each client’s request.

HTML, CSS, and javascript are used. PHP, Python, Java, Ruby are used.

No need of interaction with the


server. It is all about interacting with the servers.

It reduces load on processing unit of


the server. It surge the processing load on the server.
What’s the difference between Scripting and Programming
Languages?

Basically, all scripting languages are programming languages. The theoretical


difference between the two is that scripting languages do not require the
compilation step and are rather interpreted. For example, normally, a C
program needs to be compiled before running whereas normally, a scripting
language like JavaScript or PHP need not be compiled.
Generally, compiled programs run faster than interpreted programs because
they are first converted native machine code. Also, compilers read and analyze
the code only once, and report the errors collectively that the code might have,
but the interpreter will read and analyze the code statements each time it meets
them and halts at that very instance if there is some error. In practice, the
distinction between the two is getting blurred owing to improved computation
capabilities of the modern hardware and advanced coding practices.
Some scripting languages traditionally used without an explicit compilation step
are JavaScript, PHP, Python, VBScript.
Some programming languages traditionally used with an explicit compilation
step are C, C++.
Applications of Scripting Languages : 1. To automate certain tasks in a
program 2. Extracting information from a data set 3. Less code intensive as
compared to traditional programming languages
Applications of Programming Languages : 1. They typically run inside a
parent program like scripts 2. More compatible while integrating code with
mathematical models 3. Languages like JAVA can be compiled and then used
on any platform Please write comments if you find anything incorrect, or you
want to share more information about the topic discussed above

Let us see the differences in a tabular form -:


Scripting Language Programming Language

A scripting language is a language A Programming language is a language


that uses a naive method to bring which is used by humans to navigate their
1. codes to a runtime environment communication with computers.

2. These are made for a particular Programming languages are of three types
-:
low-level Programming language
Middle-level Programming language
High-level Programming language
runtime environment.

They are used to create dynamic Programming languages are used to write
3. web applications computer programs.

Scripting languages contain


4. different libraries They are high-speed languages.

5. Example -: Bash, Ruby, Python Example -: C++, Java, PHPHigh-level

Scripting languages can be easily


ported among various operating Programming languages are translation free
6. systems. languages

7. These languages requires a host. These languages are self executable.

8. Do not create a .exe file. These generate .exe files.

Most of the scripting languages are Most of the programming languages are
9. interpreted language. compiled languages.

All the scripting languages are All the programming languages are not
10. programming languages. scripting languages.

PHP Server
The PHP Community Provides Some types of Software Server solution under The GNU
(General Public License).
These are the following:
1. WAMP Server
2. LAMP Server
3. MAMP Server
4. XAMPP Server

All these types of software automatic configure inside operating system after installation
it having PHP, MySQL, Apache and operating system base configuration file, it doesn't
need to configure manually.

Server Stands for

WAMP Microsoft window o/s, Apache MySQL PHP


LAMP Linux Operating System Apache MySQL PHP
MAMP Mac os Apache MySQL PHP
XAMPP x-os(cross operating system) Apache MySQL PHP Perl

PHP Functions
The real power of PHP comes from its functions.

PHP has more than 1000 built-in functions, and in addition you can create
your own custom functions.

PHP User Defined Functions


Besides the built-in PHP functions, it is possible to create your own functions.

 A function is a block of statements that can be used repeatedly in a


program.
 A function will not execute automatically when a page loads.
 A function will be executed by a call to the function.
Create a User Defined Function in PHP
A user-defined function declaration starts with the word function:

Syntax
function functionName() {
code to be executed;
}

Note: A function name must start with a letter or an underscore. Function


names are NOT case-sensitive.

Tip: Give the function a name that reflects what the function does!

In the example below, we create a function named "writeMsg()". The opening


curly brace ( { ) indicates the beginning of the function code, and the closing
curly brace ( } ) indicates the end of the function. The function outputs "Hello
world!". To call the function, just write its name followed by brackets ():

Example
<?php
function writeMsg() {
echo "Hello world!";
}

writeMsg(); // call the function


?>

PHP Function Arguments


Information can be passed to functions through arguments. An argument is just
like a variable.

Arguments are specified after the function name, inside the parentheses. You
can add as many arguments as you want, just separate them with a comma.

The following example has a function with one argument ($fname). When the
familyName() function is called, we also pass along a name (e.g. Jani), and the
name is used inside the function, which outputs several different first names,
but an equal last name:
Example
<?php
function familyName($fname) {
echo "$fname Refsnes.<br>";
}

familyName("Jani");
familyName("Hege");
familyName("Stale");
familyName("Kai Jim");
familyName("Borge");
?>

The following example has a function with two arguments ($fname and $year):

Example
<?php
function familyName($fname, $year) {
echo "$fname Refsnes. Born in $year <br>";
}

familyName("Hege", "1975");
familyName("Stale", "1978");
familyName("Kai Jim", "1983");
?>

PHP is a Loosely Typed Language


In the example above, notice that we did not have to tell PHP which data type
the variable is.

PHP automatically associates a data type to the variable, depending on its


value. Since the data types are not set in a strict sense, you can do things like
adding a string to an integer without causing an error.

In PHP 7, type declarations were added. This gives us an option to specify the
expected data type when declaring a function, and by adding
the strict declaration, it will throw a "Fatal Error" if the data type mismatches.

In the following example we try to send both a number and a string to the
function without using strict:
Example
<?php
function addNumbers(int $a, int $b) {
return $a + $b;
}
echo addNumbers(5, "5 days");
// since strict is NOT enabled "5 days" is changed to int(5), and it will
return 10
?>

To specify strict we need to set declare(strict_types=1);. This must be on the


very first line of the PHP file.

In the following example we try to send both a number and a string to the
function, but here we have added the strict declaration:

Example
<?php declare(strict_types=1); // strict requirement

function addNumbers(int $a, int $b) {


return $a + $b;
}
echo addNumbers(5, "5 days");
// since strict is enabled and "5 days" is not an integer, an error will
be thrown
?>

The strict declaration forces things to be used in the intended way.

PHP Default Argument Value


The following example shows how to use a default parameter. If we call the
function setHeight() without arguments it takes the default value as argument:

Example
<?php declare(strict_types=1); // strict requirement
function setHeight(int $minheight = 50) {
echo "The height is : $minheight <br>";
}

setHeight(350);
setHeight(); // will use the default value of 50
setHeight(135);
setHeight(80);
?>

PHP Functions - Returning values


To let a function return a value, use the return statement:

Example
<?php declare(strict_types=1); // strict requirement
function sum(int $x, int $y) {
$z = $x + $y;
return $z;
}

echo "5 + 10 = " . sum(5, 10) . "<br>";


echo "7 + 13 = " . sum(7, 13) . "<br>";
echo "2 + 4 = " . sum(2, 4);
?>

PHP Return Type Declarations


PHP 7 also supports Type Declarations for the return statement. Like with the
type declaration for function arguments, by enabling the strict requirement, it
will throw a "Fatal Error" on a type mismatch.

To declare a type for the function return, add a colon ( : ) and the type right
before the opening curly ( { )bracket when declaring the function.

In the following example we specify the return type for the function:

Example
<?php declare(strict_types=1); // strict requirement
function addNumbers(float $a, float $b) : float {
return $a + $b;
}
echo addNumbers(1.2, 5.2);
?>

You can specify a different return type, than the argument types, but make sure
the return is the correct type:

Example
<?php declare(strict_types=1); // strict requirement
function addNumbers(float $a, float $b) : int {
return (int)($a + $b);
}
echo addNumbers(1.2, 5.2);
?>

Passing Arguments by Reference


In PHP, arguments are usually passed by value, which means that a copy of the
value is used in the function and the variable that was passed into the function
cannot be changed.

When a function argument is passed by reference, changes to the argument


also change the variable that was passed in. To turn a function argument into a
reference, the & operator is used:

Example
Use a pass-by-reference argument to update a variable:

<?php
function add_five(&$value) {
$value += 5;
}

$num = 2;
add_five($num);
echo $num;
?>
PHP Arrays
An array stores multiple values in one single variable:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo "I like " . $cars[0] . ", " . $cars[1] . " and " . $cars[2] . ".";
?>

What is an Array?
An array is a special variable, which can hold more than one value at a time.
If you have a list of items (a list of car names, for example), storing the cars in
single variables could look like this:

$cars1 = "Volvo";
$cars2 = "BMW";
$cars3 = "Toyota";

However, what if you want to loop through the cars and find a specific one? And
what if you had not 3 cars, but 300?

The solution is to create an array!

An array can hold many values under a single name, and you can access the
values by referring to an index number.

Create an Array in PHP


In PHP, the array() function is used to create an array:

array();

In PHP, there are three types of arrays:

 Indexed arrays - Arrays with a numeric index


 Associative arrays - Arrays with named keys
 Multidimensional arrays - Arrays containing one or more arrays

Get The Length of an Array - The count()


Function
The count() function is used to return the length (the number of elements) of an
array:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo count($cars);
?>
Complete PHP Array Reference
For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array
Reference.

The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each
function!

PHP Indexed Arrays


PHP Indexed Arrays
There are two ways to create indexed arrays:

The index can be assigned automatically (index always starts at 0), like this:

$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");

or the index can be assigned manually:

$cars[0] = "Volvo";
$cars[1] = "BMW";
$cars[2] = "Toyota";

The following example creates an indexed array named $cars, assigns three
elements to it, and then prints a text containing the array values:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo "I like " . $cars[0] . ", " . $cars[1] . " and " . $cars[2] . ".";
?>

Loop Through an Indexed Array


To loop through and print all the values of an indexed array, you could use
a for loop, like this:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
$arrlength = count($cars);

for($x = 0; $x < $arrlength; $x++) {


echo $cars[$x];
echo "<br>";
}
?>

Complete PHP Array Reference


For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array
Reference.

The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each
function!

PHP Associative Arrays


Associative arrays are arrays that use named keys that you assign to them.

There are two ways to create an associative array:

$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");

or:

$age['Peter'] = "35";
$age['Ben'] = "37";
$age['Joe'] = "43";

The named keys can then be used in a script:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
echo "Peter is " . $age['Peter'] . " years old.";
?>
Loop Through an Associative Array
To loop through and print all the values of an associative array, you could use
a foreach loop, like this:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");

foreach($age as $x => $x_value) {


echo "Key=" . $x . ", Value=" . $x_value;
echo "<br>";
}
?>

Complete PHP Array Reference


For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array
Reference.

The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each
function!

PHP Multidimensional Arrays


In the previous pages, we have described arrays that are a single list of
key/value pairs.

However, sometimes you want to store values with more than one key. For
this, we have multidimensional arrays.

PHP - Multidimensional Arrays


A multidimensional array is an array containing one or more arrays.

PHP supports multidimensional arrays that are two, three, four, five, or more
levels deep. However, arrays more than three levels deep are hard to manage
for most people.
The dimension of an array indicates the number of indices you need to
select an element.

 For a two-dimensional array you need two indices to select an element


 For a three-dimensional array you need three indices to select an element

PHP - Two-dimensional Arrays


A two-dimensional array is an array of arrays (a three-dimensional array is an
array of arrays of arrays).

First, take a look at the following table:

Name Stock Sold

Volvo 22 18

BMW 15 13

Saab 5 2

Land Rover 17 15

We can store the data from the table above in a two-dimensional array, like
this:

$cars = array (
array("Volvo",22,18),
array("BMW",15,13),
array("Saab",5,2),
array("Land Rover",17,15)
);
Now the two-dimensional $cars array contains four arrays, and it has two
indices: row and column.

To get access to the elements of the $cars array we must point to the two
indices (row and column):

Example
<?php
echo $cars[0][0].": In stock: ".$cars[0][1].", sold: ".$cars[0]
[2].".<br>";
echo $cars[1][0].": In stock: ".$cars[1][1].", sold: ".$cars[1]
[2].".<br>";
echo $cars[2][0].": In stock: ".$cars[2][1].", sold: ".$cars[2]
[2].".<br>";
echo $cars[3][0].": In stock: ".$cars[3][1].", sold: ".$cars[3]
[2].".<br>";
?>

We can also put a for loop inside another for loop to get the elements of the
$cars array (we still have to point to the two indices):

Example
<?php
for ($row = 0; $row < 4; $row++) {
echo "<p><b>Row number $row</b></p>";
echo "<ul>";
for ($col = 0; $col < 3; $col++) {
echo "<li>".$cars[$row][$col]."</li>";
}
echo "</ul>";
}
?>

Complete PHP Array Reference


For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array
Reference.

The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each
function!
PHP Sorting Arrays
The elements in an array can be sorted in alphabetical or numerical order,
descending or ascending.

PHP - Sort Functions For Arrays


In this chapter, we will go through the following PHP array sort functions:

 sort() - sort arrays in ascending order


 rsort() - sort arrays in descending order
 asort() - sort associative arrays in ascending order, according to the value
 ksort() - sort associative arrays in ascending order, according to the key
 arsort() - sort associative arrays in descending order, according to the
value
 krsort() - sort associative arrays in descending order, according to the
key

Sort Array in Ascending Order - sort()


The following example sorts the elements of the $cars array in ascending
alphabetical order:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
sort($cars);
?>

The following example sorts the elements of the $numbers array in ascending
numerical order:

Example
<?php
$numbers = array(4, 6, 2, 22, 11);
sort($numbers);
?>

Sort Array in Descending Order - rsort()


The following example sorts the elements of the $cars array in descending
alphabetical order:

Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
rsort($cars);
?>

The following example sorts the elements of the $numbers array in descending
numerical order:

Example
<?php
$numbers = array(4, 6, 2, 22, 11);
rsort($numbers);
?>

Sort Array (Ascending Order), According


to Value - asort()
The following example sorts an associative array in ascending order, according
to the value:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
asort($age);
?>
Sort Array (Ascending Order), According
to Key - ksort()
The following example sorts an associative array in ascending order, according
to the key:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
ksort($age);
?>

Sort Array (Descending Order),


According to Value - arsort()
The following example sorts an associative array in descending order, according
to the value:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
arsort($age);
?>

Sort Array (Descending Order),


According to Key - krsort()
The following example sorts an associative array in descending order, according
to the key:

Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
krsort($age);
?>
Complete PHP Array Reference
For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array
Reference.

The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each
function!

PHP Strings
A string is a sequence of characters, like "Hello world!".

PHP String Functions


In this chapter we will look at some commonly used functions to manipulate
strings.

strlen() - Return the Length of a String


The PHP strlen() function returns the length of a string.

Example
Return the length of the string "Hello world!":
<?php
echo strlen("Hello world!"); // outputs 12
?>

str_word_count() - Count Words in a


String
The PHP str_word_count() function counts the number of words in a string.

Example
Count the number of word in the string "Hello world!":

<?php
echo str_word_count("Hello world!"); // outputs 2
?>

strrev() - Reverse a String


The PHP strrev() function reverses a string.

Example
Reverse the string "Hello world!":

<?php
echo strrev("Hello world!"); // outputs !dlrow olleH
?>

strpos() - Search For a Text Within a


String
The PHP strpos() function searches for a specific text within a string. If a match
is found, the function returns the character position of the first match. If no
match is found, it will return FALSE.

Example
Search for the text "world" in the string "Hello world!":
<?php
echo strpos("Hello world!", "world"); // outputs 6
?>

Tip: The first character position in a string is 0 (not 1).

str_replace() - Replace Text Within a


String
The PHP str_replace() function replaces some characters with some other
characters in a string.

Example
Replace the text "world" with "Dolly":

<?php
echo str_replace("world", "Dolly", "Hello world!"); // outputs Hello
Dolly!
?>

join() Function
• The join() function is built-in function in PHP and is used to join an array of elements which are
separated by a string.

Syntax

string join( $separator, $array)


 Example Parameter: The join() function accepts
two parameter out of which one is optional and one
is mandatory.
 Example Parameter: The join() function accepts
two parameter out of which one is optional and one
is mandatory.
 $array : The array whose value is to be joined to
form a string.
Join array elements with a string:
<?php
$arr = array('Hello','World!','Beautiful','Day!');
echo join(" ",$arr);
?>

PHP sprintf() Function


 The sprintf() function writes a formatted string to a variable.
 The arg1, arg2, ++ parameters will be inserted at percent (%)
signs in the main string.
 This function works "step-by-step".
 At the first % sign, arg1 is inserted, at the second % sign, arg2
is inserted, etc.
<?php
$number = 9;
$str = "Beijing";
$txt = sprintf("There are %u million bicycles in %s.",$number,
$str);
echo $txt;
?>

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