PHP Tutorial for Beginners

PHP is a widely-used open-source scripting language that has become an essential tool for web development. Whether you are new to programming or coming from another language, PHP offers a simple yet powerful way to create dynamic websites and applications. This beginner’s tutorial provides an accessible entry point, covering everything from PHP’s origins to its syntax and variable usage.

Introduction to PHP

PHP, or “Hypertext Preprocessor,” is a server-side language specifically designed for creating dynamic, interactive web pages. Its easy integration with HTML and support across all major web servers make it a popular choice among web developers.

PHP History Overview

PHP began its journey in 1994, created by Rasmus Lerdorf, initially as a way to manage his personal website. The language quickly evolved, with features designed for database access, template processing, and soon, as a fully capable web scripting language. Throughout its history, PHP has maintained a focus on simplicity and practicality, powering countless websites, including some of the world’s most visited platforms.

PHP Installation Guide

Before writing PHP scripts, you must set up a working PHP environment. The standard setup includes the PHP interpreter, a web server (like Apache or Nginx), and often a database like MySQL. Many beginners use pre-packaged solutions for convenience.

• XAMPP: All-in-one package with Apache, MySQL, PHP and more for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• MAMP: Easy web development environment for macOS and Windows.
• LAMP/WAMP: Custom combinations for Linux (LAMP) or Windows (WAMP) users.

Download and install your chosen stack. After installation, place your PHP files inside the web server’s root directory (often called htdocs or www). Then access your scripts using a web browser pointed to http://localhost/ followed by your file name.

Basic PHP Syntax

PHP code is embedded in HTML or used in standalone scripts. To ensure the PHP interpreter recognizes the code, all PHP statements must be contained within specific tags:

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

PHP Syntax Rules

• Each statement ends with a semicolon (;).
• PHP is case-sensitive (e.g., $Var and $var are distinct).
• Comments are written using // for single-line or /* ... */ for multi-line notes.
• Whitespace and indentation improve readability but do not affect execution.

Proper understanding of these foundational rules will streamline your future coding and debugging tasks.

Writing Your First PHP Script

Let’s begin by creating a simple PHP file that outputs a friendly greeting. Save the following code as hello.php in your web server root directory.

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

Now, visit http://localhost/hello.php in your browser. You should see “Hello, World!” displayed, proving that PHP is working as expected.

PHP Variables Usage

Variables are fundamental to every programming language. In PHP, they serve as containers for storing data, which you can later use and manipulate throughout your scripts.

Declaring PHP Variables

All PHP variables start with a dollar sign ($) followed by the variable name. The name must begin with a letter or underscore, followed by any number of letters, numbers, or underscores.

<?php
$name = "Alice";
$age = 30;
?>

• $name stores the string “Alice”.
• $age stores the integer 30.

Variable Data Types

PHP is a loosely typed language, allowing you to use variables without declaring their data type explicitly. The interpreter decides the type automatically based on the value assigned.

• String: text data, e.g., "Hello"
• Integer: whole numbers, e.g., 25
• Float: decimal numbers, e.g., 3.14
• Boolean: true or false values
• Array: collection of values
• Object: instance of a class
• NULL: variable with no value

Here are examples of some basic data types in action:

<?php
$title = "Learning PHP";
$score = 100;
$price = 15.99;
$is_admin = false;
?>

Conclusion

This tutorial has introduced PHP’s origins, installation process, essential syntax, and variable handling. As you progress, you will discover an expansive range of PHP features and libraries for developing interactive, secure, and powerful web applications. With this foundation, you are now ready to start coding your own PHP scripts and explore more advanced topics in web development.