Introduction to PHP

Welcome to the PHP documentation! This section covers what PHP is, why it's worth learning, and how this site's two build-along tracks fit together.

What is PHP?

PHP is a server-side scripting language built for the web. It ships with a built-in web server, a huge standard library covering HTTP, files, and databases out of the box, and one of the largest hosting/ecosystem footprints of any language — a large share of the web (including WordPress and Laravel-powered sites) runs on it.

Why Learn PHP?

• Ubiquity — cheap, widely available hosting; runs almost anywhere
• Low barrier to entry — no build step required to start; php -S gets a server running in seconds
• Ecosystem — Composer for package management, PSR standards for interop, mature frameworks (Laravel, Symfony)
• CMS reach — WordPress alone powers a large fraction of the web, all of it PHP
• Fast iteration — no compile step; edit a file, refresh the browser

Two Tracks on This Site

This site builds two independent artifacts as you work through the tiers:

• JSON HTTP API (beginner → intermediate → advanced) — a small API on PHP's built-in server, extended with persistence, then hardened for deployment
• CLI Tool (cli-tool) — a small command-line PHP tool, no framework

A third track, PHP Language, is a fundamentals deep-dive independent of either artifact — pick it up whenever you want the mechanics explained in depth.

Getting Started

Continue to Getting Started to install PHP and run your first script.