What is PHP?

PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, with that PHP standing for Personal HomePage [Tools]. This type of acronymis known as a retronym. Originally, in 1994, the language was designed as a small set of binaries used to collect some basic site traffic data. In 1997 the parser was rewritten by two Israelis and the name was changed to the current acronym — it being determined that hypertext preprocessor was a decidedly more acceptable name in the business world. PHP is an open-source language, used primarily for dynamic web content and server-side applications. The popular Web programming language, PHP, is getting a reliable, fault tolerant development platform, similar to what's already available for Java, Microsoft's Visual Studio, and Ruby. PHP is open source code and one of the most heavily used languages for Web applications. Coupon marketer, Groupon, and social networking message service, Twitter, are heavy PHP users. PHP originally stood for Personal Home Page, but has taken on many business logic characteristics since its first two versions.