-= PHP =-

PHP is a scripted programming language that can be used to create websites. Short for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor" (the initials actually come from the earliest version of the program, which was called "Personal Home Page Tools"), it is an open-source, reflective programming language used mainly for developing server-side applications and dynamic web content, and more recently, a broader range of software applications.

PHP allows interaction with a large number of relational database management systems, such as MySQL, Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL and SQLite. PHP runs on most major operating systems, including Unix, Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X, and can interact with many major web servers. The official PHP website (www.php.net) contains very extensive documentation.

There is a command line interface (CLI), as well as GUI libraries such as the Gimp Tool Kit (GTK+) and text mode libraries like Ncurses and Newt.

PHP is the result of the efforts of many contributors. It is licensed under the PHP License, a BSD-style license. Since version 4, it has been powered by the Zend engine.


-= Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PHP:_Hypertext_Preprocessor =-