This document provides an overview of PHP, including:
- PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and is a popular open-source scripting language used for web development.
- PHP features include easy learning, a large function library, ability to embed code directly into HTML, and compatibility with many databases and servers.
- PHP can be used for e-commerce sites, content management, community building, and more. Its history began in 1995 and it is now used on over 10 million websites.
- The document discusses PHP implementations, basics of PHP syntax and control structures, and provides an example of a simple "Hello World" PHP program. It also notes some potential security issues to be aware of.
2. Contents
Introduction
What is PHP?
Features
Uses of PHP
Where it is used?
History of PHP
Implementations
Basics of PHP
An Example
Security Issues
Conclusion
3. What is PHP?What is PHP?
PHP
PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
Originally called Personal Home Page Tools
Popular server-side scripting technology
Open-source
Anyone may view, modify and redistribute source
code
Supported freely by community
Platform independent 3
4. Source-code not visible by client
View Source in browsers does not display the PHP code
Various built-in functions allow for fast
development
PHP supports many databases (MySQL,
Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Solid, PostgreSQL,
Generic ODBC, etc.)
PHP is compatible with almost all servers
used today (Apache, IIS, etc.)
5. PHP FeaturesPHP Features
Easy learning
Syntax Perl- and C-like syntax. Relatively easy to
learn.
Large function library
Embedded directly into HTML
Interpreted, no need to compile
Open Source server-side scripting language
designed specifically for the web.
6. PHP Features(cont.)PHP Features(cont.)
Conceived in 1994, now used on +10 million web
sites.
Outputs not only HTML but can output XML,
images (JPG & PNG), PDF files and even Flash
movies all generated on the fly. Can write these
files to the file system.
PHP also has support for talking to other services
using protocols such as LDAP, IMAP, SNMP,
NNTP, POP3, HTTP.
7. Using PHP you..
Can performs system functions, i.e. from files on a system
it can create, open, read, write, and close them.
Can handle forms, i.e. gather data from files, save data to
a file, thru email you can send data, return data to the
user.
Can add, delete, modify elements within your database
thru PHP.
Access cookies variables and set cookies.
Can restrict users to access some pages of website.
Can encrypt data.
8. Where it is used..?
E-Commerce
Project Management Tools
Graphical User Interface
Building an Online Community
Developing Facebook Applications
Generating PDF Files
Mailing Lists
Image Processing and Generation
10. History of PHPHistory of PHP
PHP began in 1995 when Rasmus Lerdorf developed a
Perl/CGI script toolset he called the Personal Home Page
or PHP
PHP 2 released 1997 (PHP now stands for Hypertext
Processor). Lerdorf developed it further, using C instead
PHP3 released in 1998 (50,000 users)
PHP4 released in 2000 (3.6 million domains). Considered
debut of functional language and including Perl parsing,
with other major features
PHP5.0.0 released July 13, 2004 (113 libraries>1,000
functions with extensive object-oriented programming)
PHP 6 is yet to released
11. Implementations
The PHP language was originally implemented as an interpreter
Several compilers have been developed which decouple the
PHP language from the interpreter.
Advantages of compilation include better execution speed,
static analysis, and improved interoperability with code written
in other languages.
Phalanger, which compiles PHP into Common Intermediate
Language (CIL) byte code, and HipHop, developed at Facebook
and now available as open source, which transforms the PHP
Script into C++, then compiles it, reducing server load up to 50%
PHP scripts can also be deployed in executable format using
a PHP compiler.
13. Basic applications
Structurally similar to C/C++
Supports procedural and object-oriented paradigm (to
some degree)
Scripting delimiters
<? php ?>
Must enclose all script code
Variables preceded by $ symbol
Case-sensitive
End statements with semicolon
Comments
// for single line
/* */ for multiline
Filenames end with .php by convention
13
14. PHP Operators
Operators are used to operate on values. There are
four classifications of operators:
Arithmetic
Assignment
Comparison
Logical
15. PHP Arrays
In PHP, there are three kind of arrays:
Numeric array
Associative array
Multidimensional array
16. Control Structures
Wide Variety available
if, else, elseif
while, do-while
for, foreach
break, continue, switch
require, include, require_once, include_once
20. Security issues
About 30% of all vulnerabilities listed on the National
Vulnerability Database are linked to PHP.
These are caused mostly by not following best practice
programming rules; technical security flaws of the language
itself or of its core libraries are not frequent (23 in 2008,
about 1% of the total).
Recognizing that programmers make mistakes, some
languages include taint checking to automatically detect the
lack of input validation which induces many issues.