Php is basically a server side scripting language. It is a powerful tool for making interactive and dynamic web pages. Php scripts are executed on the server. Php is open source software and is free to download and use.
Php is platform independent software and is compatible with all the servers used today.
You can insert contents of one php file into another before the server executes it with the help of include() and require() functions. These two functions works in the same way but with a little bit of difference that while using include() function a warning is generated but the script continues its execution and whereas while using require() function it generates an error and the script stops.
In php we can also create cookie. A cookie is often used to identify a user. It is a small file that the server embeds on the user’s computer. Each time the same user requests a page it will send the cookie too. With the help of php we can create as well as retrieve cookie also.
Php also provides a session. The purpose of session is to make the computer know who you are. It knows when you start using the application and when you close it. It helps you to store the user information on the server for the later use. The information stored is only for temporary use and is deleted as soon as the user logs out of that site. It works by creating a unique id for each user. This unique id is stored in a cookie.
We can also send email from inside the script by simply using the mail() function.
For eg:
Mail (to, subject, message, headers, paramenters)
With the help of this you can also create a feedback form for your website.
Forms can also be created with the php. When the user fills the form and press the submit button the form data will be sent to the prescribed page to where it is linked. $_GET and $_POST are used to collect values from the form. Information sent using get is visible to everyone and is displayed in the browser’s address bar and is having a limit of words while when submitting the form by using post the information is invisible to others and has no limits on the amount of information sent.
So php is a very useful language for creating a interactive and dynamic websites.