Why Use PHP?

PHP Code on a screen shot with shallow depth of field
Getty Images/Scott-Cartwright

Now that you are comfortable using HTML on your website, it is time to tackle PHP, a programming language you can use to enhance your HTML website. Why use PHP? Here are some great reasons.

Friendly With HTML

Anyone who already has a website and is familiar with HTML can easily make the step to PHP. In fact, PHP and HTML are interchangeable within the page. You can put PHP outside the HTML or inside. While PHP adds new features to your site, the basic appearance is still all created with HTML. Read more about using PHP with HTML.

Interactive Features

PHP allows you to interact with your visitors in ways HTML alone can't. You can use it to design simple email forms or elaborate shopping carts that save past orders and recommend similar products. It can also deliver interactive forums and private messaging systems. 

Easy to Learn

PHP is a lot easier to get started with than you might think. By learning just a few simple functions, you are able to do a lot of things with your website. Once you know the basics, check out the wealth of scripts available on the internet that you only need to tweak slightly to fit your needs. 

Top-Notch Online Documentation

The PHP documentation is the best on the web. Hands down. Every function and method call is documented, and most have tons of examples you can study, along with comments from other users. 

Plenty of Blogs

There are a lot of great PHP blogs on the internet. Whether you need a question answered or want to rub elbows with PHP expert programmers, there are blogs for you. 

Low Cost and Open Source

PHP is available online absolutely free. It is accepted globally so you can use it on all website development and design tasks.

Compatible With Databases

With an extension or abstraction layer, PHP supports a wide range of databases including MySql.

It Just Works

PHP solves problems easier and faster than almost anything else out there. It is user-friendly, cross-platform and easy to learn. How many more reasons do you need to try PHP on your website? Just start learning PHP.

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Bradley, Angela. "Why Use PHP?" ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/why-use-php-2694006. Bradley, Angela. (2021, February 16). Why Use PHP? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/why-use-php-2694006 Bradley, Angela. "Why Use PHP?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/why-use-php-2694006 (accessed March 29, 2024).