What is PHP? - Introduction

The age of static Web pages is over. Today's users expect exciting pages that are updated frequently and provide a customized experience. At tha same time, Web site administrators want sites that are easier to update and maintaince. The web is now a place for dynamic freauantly database driven, Web aplications.

PHP : Hypertext Preprocessor

According to official PHP Web site, www.php.net
PHP is "an HTML embeded scripting language."

Also PHP is a scipting language, as opposed to a programing language. PHP is designed to do something only after an event occours. PHP is a server side, cross-platform technology. It's cross-platform nature means that PHP runs most operating systems, including Windows, Unix (and its many variants.) and Macintosh.

Why use PHP - Put simply, when it comes to developing dynamic Web sites. PHP is a better, faster, and easier to learn than the alternatives.