What is PHP?
This is a common script, used for the creation of dynamic websites. Its code is placed into an HTML document and is then read by a server that supports PHP. In this way the server generates the web page document. Web pages that are PHP- enabled are treated like regular HTML pages and they can be written and edited just like the normal HTML ones. There are about twenty million sites that operate with PHP on about one million servers. So, when you start your own webpage look for a free PHP hosting from a hosting provider, that supports the PHP script and offers free web hosting service. PHP includes a command-line interface capability and can be used for independent applications, which you can run without any server or browser on your computer. With PHP you can also manage cookies.PHP is available online for free and the PHP Group provides the complete source code libraries for users to create their websites with. PHP is a very easy script for a newcomer, but at the same time it includes numerous extended features for an advanced programmer. With PHP you are not restricted only to HTML. With the free PHP script you can manage images, PDF or Flash files. So, go ahead and choose your free PHP hosting company and try it.
PHP system requirments
Typically, PHP can run on most of the web servers, operating systems and platforms, but when you choose web hosting provider you should check up if it supports PHP. The script can be used on the most Linux system variants and some others. After your web hosting provider is selected, make sure that the support for PHP is activated and that the files with .php extension are operated by PHP. You should check that up, though for many servers, that`s the default extension of the PHP files. You don`t have to chage anything if your server supports PHP. So, it`s easier to start your new website using free PHP hosting with provider like Awardspace.com.So, when you start creating your website, first you should choose a server, than install the PHP script and the MySQL database on which it runs. Apache is probably the most widely installed web server, more than half of the websites use it. It is free, runs on most of the operating systems, it`s secure and can be modified. Usually, Apache is included in the Linux distributions packages. Likewise, MySQL and PHP are probably installed on your operating system, though they might be not activated. You should also regularly check up for updates. After the installation of MySQL, you will need a software for it. One of the most widely used programs for managing MySQL is phpMyAdmin. With it you can create, remove and customize your databases.
