PHP
Class 1: Introduction to PHP - Assignments
Assignment 1: What is PHP
Answer:
What is PHP?
PHP
(Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open-source scripting language
designed for web development.
It is
particularly suited for server-side scripting, allowing developers to create
dynamic and interactive web pages that can interact with databases and perform
complex tasks on the server before sending the output to the user’s browser.
How does PHP integrate with HTML?
PHP can
be embedded directly into HTML code, making it easy to create dynamic web
pages.
When a
web server processes a PHP file, it executes the PHP code and outputs the
result as HTML, which is then displayed in the user's web browser. This
seamless integration allows developers to combine HTML and PHP to create
interactive websites.
The
importance of PHP in building dynamic websites:
1.
PHP plays a crucial role in creating
dynamic websites, where content can change based on user interactions, database
queries, or other conditions.
2.
It allows websites to deliver
personalized experiences, such as user logins, shopping carts, and content
management systems.
3.
PHP’s ability to connect with various
databases, like MySQL, makes it a powerful tool for building data-driven web
applications.
Examples
of popular websites built using PHP:
1. Facebook:
Initially built using PHP, Facebook remains one of the largest and most complex
PHP-based web applications.
2.
Wikipedia: The world’s largest online
encyclopedia uses PHP to manage its vast content and user base.
3.
WordPress: The most popular content
management system (CMS) is built on PHP, powering over 40% of all websites
globally.
Assignment 2: Setting Up XAMPP and Running Your First PHP Script
Objective:
To install XAMPP and
verify the PHP installation by running a phpinfo() script.
Steps:
1. Download
XAMPP:
o Go
to the XAMPP website.
o Choose
the installer compatible with your operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux).
2. Install
XAMPP:
o Open
the downloaded installer file.
o Follow
the installation steps on-screen, choosing to install Apache, MySQL, and PHP
(by default).
o Select
the installation directory (default for Windows is C:\xampp).
3. Start
Apache Server:
o Open
the XAMPP Control Panel.
o Click
“Start” next to Apache.
o Once
Apache is running, the status indicator will turn green.
4. Create
a PHP Script:
o Navigate
to the htdocs directory (located at C:\xampp\htdocs by default).
o In
htdocs, create a new file called info.php.
o Open
info.php in a text editor, and add this code:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
o The
phpinfo() function outputs information about the PHP installation.
5. Run
the PHP Script in a Browser:
o Open
your web browser.
o In
the address bar, type http://localhost/info.php and press Enter.
o You
should see a page displaying PHP configuration information if everything is
installed correctly.
Explanation:
The phpinfo() function
outputs detailed information about PHP, including version details, extensions,
and configuration settings. This ensures your PHP installation is working and
shows you the current configuration.
Expected Result:
A page with a detailed
PHP configuration list should appear, confirming that PHP is installed and
running correctly.
Assignment 3: Creating
and Running a Simple "Hello World" Script
Objective:
Create a basic PHP file
that displays “Hello, PHP World!” when accessed in a browser.
Steps:
1. Ensure
XAMPP is Running:
o Make
sure Apache is started in the XAMPP Control Panel. If Apache isn’t running,
click “Start.”
2. Create
a New PHP File:
o In
the htdocs directory, create a file named hello.php.
3. Write
the PHP Code:
o Open
hello.php in a text editor and type the following code:
<?php
echo "Hello, PHP
World!";
?>
o Here,
echo is a PHP command that outputs text to the browser.
4. Run
the PHP File in a Browser:
o Open
a browser and type http://localhost/hello.php in the address bar, then press
Enter.
5. Observe
the Output:
o You
should see the message “Hello, PHP World!” displayed in your browser.
Explanation:
This simple script
introduces PHP syntax and outputs a message. The echo statement in PHP is
similar to print statements in other languages and is used to display text or
variables.
Expected Result:
The text "Hello,
PHP World!" should be visible on the webpage, confirming PHP is working
and outputting content as expected.
Assignment 4:
Displaying Server Information Using PHP Variables
Objective:
Use PHP to display
server details like the server name and PHP version by storing information in
variables.
Steps:
1. Create
a New PHP File:
o Inside
the htdocs directory, create a file named server_info.php.
2. Write
PHP Code with Variables:
o Open
server_info.php in a text editor and add the following code:
<?php
$server_name =
$_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'];
$php_version =
PHP_VERSION;
echo "Server Name: " . $server_name . "<br>";
echo "PHP Version:
" . $php_version;
?>
o $server_name
uses the $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] variable to fetch the server's name.
o $php_version
uses the predefined PHP_VERSION constant to display the current PHP version.
3. Run
the PHP File in a Browser:
o Open
a browser and navigate to http://localhost/server_info.php.
4. Observe
the Output:
o You
should see output like this:
Server Name: localhost
PHP Version: X.Y.Z
Explanation:
In this assignment, PHP
variables are used to store server information, which is then outputted to the
browser. $_SERVER is a global array in PHP that holds server-related information,
and PHP_VERSION is a constant that returns the version of PHP in use.
Expected Result:
The browser displays
the server name and PHP version, demonstrating how PHP retrieves server
information.
Assignment 5: Basic
HTML and PHP Integration
Objective:
Combine PHP and HTML in
a single file to display a simple greeting message within an HTML structure.
Steps:
1. Create
a New PHP File:
o In
the htdocs directory, create a file named greeting.php.
2. Write
HTML and PHP Code:
o Open
greeting.php in a text editor and type the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html
lang="en">
<head>
<meta
charset="UTF-8">
<meta
name="viewport" content="width=device-width,
initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Greeting
Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome
to My PHP Page</h1>
<p>
<?php
$greeting
= "Hello, visitor! Welcome to learning PHP!";
echo
$greeting;
?>
</p>
</body>
</html>
o This
file contains a basic HTML structure with a <p> tag that displays a
message.
o Inside
the <p> tag, PHP is used to define a variable $greeting and display its
content using echo.
3. Run
the File in a Browser:
o Open
a browser and go to http://localhost/greeting.php.
4. Observe
the Output:
o The
page should display:
Welcome to My PHP Page
Hello, visitor! Welcome
to learning PHP!
Explanation:
This exercise
demonstrates how PHP can be embedded within HTML. The PHP code is processed on
the server, while the HTML is rendered in the browser. This combination allows
developers to build dynamic content while keeping a structured HTML layout.
Expected Result:
The webpage displays a
greeting message within an HTML structure, showcasing the integration of PHP
and HTML.
Assignment 6: Create a
PHP Calculator for Addition
Objective:
Build a simple PHP
script that takes two numbers, adds them, and displays the result.
Steps:
1. Create
a New PHP File:
o In
the htdocs directory, create a file named calculator.php.
2. Write
the PHP and HTML Form Code:
o Open
calculator.php in a text editor and add the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html
lang="en">
<head>
<meta
charset="UTF-8">
<meta
name="viewport" content="width=device-width,
initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Simple
Calculator</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>PHP
Calculator</h1>
<form
method="post" action="">
<label
for="num1">Number 1:</label>
<input
type="number" name="num1" required>
<br>
<label
for="num2">Number 2:</label>
<input
type="number" name="num2" required>
<br>
<button
type="submit">Add</button>
</form>
<?php
if
($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
$num1
= $_POST['num1'];
$num2
= $_POST['num2'];
$sum
= $num1 + $num2;
echo
"<h3>Result: $num1 + $num2 = $sum</h3>";
}
?>
</body>
</html>
3. Run
the File in a Browser:
o Go
to http://localhost/calculator.php and enter two numbers in the form fields.
4. Observe
the Output:
o When
you click "Add," the result of the addition should appear below the
form.
Explanation:
This assignment shows
how PHP can handle form data. When the form is submitted, PHP retrieves the
numbers entered, adds them, and displays the result.
Expected Result:
The form collects two
numbers and displays their sum, illustrating how PHP can interact with HTML
forms.
Assignment 7: Creating a Simple Web Page with PHP
Answer:
Created a
new file named welcome.php.
Added the
following PHP script:
|
<?php echo
"Welcome! Today's date is " . date('Y-m-d') . " and the
current time is " . date('H:i:s'); ?> |
Saved
the file in the htdocs directory and started the Apache server using XAMPP.
Opened a
web browser and navigated to http://localhost/welcome.php.
The web
page displayed the current date and time, confirming that the PHP script
executed correctly.
Output of the welcome.php script showing the current date and time.