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PHP is a server-side scripting language used for creating dynamic Web pages. PHP combines HTML and PHPs particular programming syntax to achieve its results. When an http request (that is a web page request) comes into the web server, the server parses the PHP script and then builds the webpage sending it to the users browser, ASP and ColdFusion also perform similar functions. ASP and ColdFusion however are proprietary products. ASP is owned by Microsoft and Cold Fusion is an Adobe product.  PHP is Open Source meaning that it is distributed Free under the Gnu public license running on Linux, Windows and most Unix servers. PHP can be built as a binary or an Apache module that can run as CGI. PHP Apache modules, are small and very fast executing without any process creation overhead. These PHP modules return their output quickly and keep server memory usage small.

PHP not only manipulats the content of your pages, PHP offers excellent compatability and conectivity to many database types, MySQL PostgreSQL, ODBC. PHP can send HTTP headers. PHP can set cookies. PHP can manage authentication, PHP can redirect users. PHPs integration with various external libraries allows you to do many extremely useful functions such as generating PDF documents to parsing XML or resizing images.

PHP scripting is written into your Web pages, there's no need for an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) PHP is a plain text language like html. PHP code starts with <?php and ends with ?>. Configure PHP to use ASP-style <% %> tags or even <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="php"></SCRIPT>the PHP software on teh server processes all PHP script between those tags.

C programmers will find PHP easy to learn. The PHP language syntax is similar to C's as well as Perl's and in PHP declaring variables isnt necessary before they are employed. It's easy to create arrays and hashes (associative arrays) in PHP. PHP has basic object-oriented attributes making PHP an easy way to organize and encapsulate your code. 

PHP runs fastest embedded in Apache, PHP can be download from the official Web site. Be sure to get the PHP manual that documents all of the freatures of PHP.

Because PHP script is embedded in HTML documents and is plain text, yoiu can edit it in almost any text editor no need for special software infact note pad is perfect for hand coding PHP. To run PHP your server will need to have it installed (most do). If you administer your own server getting PHP up and runinng is easy enough. IF you are useing an ISP such as earthliink or a smaller ISP local to you they should be able to get PHP us na drunning for you.

PHP on Unix web servers, requires basic Unix skills. PHP needs  a C compiler, an ANSI C compiler on your system, and a Web server.

For running PHP on Windows, you'll need one of the following: Microsoft Personal Web Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server 3 or 4, Apache 1.3.x, or Omni HTTPd 2.0b1.

For more information go to the PHP Web site.