Beginner-Friendly Topic
Take your time - it's perfectly normal to re-read this topic 2-3 times. Try the interactive code editor below to run code yourself. Use the Q&A section to check your understanding before moving on.You've got this!
PHP Ecosystem - How PHP Works
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language that runs on a web server and sends HTML to the browser. Unlike JavaScript which runs in the browser, PHP runs before the page reaches the user - making it ideal for database interaction, authentication, and dynamic content generation.
The PHP Request Lifecycle
- 1. User visits yoursite.com/blog - browser sends an HTTP request to the server.
- 2. Web server (Nginx/Apache) receives the request and sees a .php file - it hands it to PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager).
- 3. PHP engine executes the script top to bottom, connects to databases, runs logic.
- 4. PHP outputs HTML (or JSON) as a string - the web server sends this back as an HTTP response.
- 5. Browser renders the HTML. PHP has already finished - it is stateless by default.
- Key: PHP is NOT interpreted by the browser. It is server-side only. The browser never sees PHP code.
Environment Setup
# Option 1: PHP built-in server (development only)
php -S localhost:8000 # serves current directory at localhost:8000
php -S localhost:8000 -t public/ # serve from public/ folder
# Option 2: XAMPP / Laragon (all-in-one: Apache + PHP + MySQL)
# Download from apachefriends.org or laragon.org
# Option 3: Docker (production-like)
# docker-compose.yml
# services:
# php:
# image: php:8.3-fpm
# nginx:
# image: nginx:alpine
# Verify installation
php --version # PHP 8.3.x (cli)
php --ini # show loaded php.ini
php -r "echo phpinfo();" # print all config (run in terminal)
# Essential php.ini settings for development
# error_reporting = E_ALL
# display_errors = On
# display_startup_errors = On
# date.timezone = "UTC"Quick Quiz
Try It Yourself: First PHP Script
<?php
// Your first PHP script - save as hello.php and run: php hello.php
declare(strict_types=1);
$name = "World";
$version = PHP_VERSION; // built-in constant - current PHP version
$os = PHP_OS_FAMILY; // "Windows", "Linux", "Darwin"
echo "Hello, {$name}!
";
echo "Running PHP {$version} on {$os}
";
echo str_repeat("-", 40) . "
";
// PHP info table
$info = [
"Max execution time" => ini_get("max_execution_time") . "s",
"Memory limit" => ini_get("memory_limit"),
"Extensions loaded" => count(get_loaded_extensions()),
];
foreach ($info as $key => $value) {
printf("%-25s %s
", $key . ":", $value);
}
// Expected output:
// Hello, World!
// Running PHP 8.3.x on Linux
// ----------------------------------------
// Max execution time: 30s
// Memory limit: 128M
// Extensions loaded: 42Tip
Tip
Practice PHP Ecosystem How PHP Works in small, isolated examples before integrating into larger projects. Breaking concepts into small experiments builds genuine understanding faster than reading alone.
Visual architecture and concepts for PHP Ecosystem - How PHP Works
Practice Task
Note
Practice Task - (1) Write a working example of PHP Ecosystem How PHP Works from scratch without looking at notes. (2) Modify it to handle an edge case (empty input, null value, or error state). (3) Share your solution in the Priygop community for feedback.
Common Mistake
Warning
A common mistake with PHP Ecosystem How PHP Works is skipping edge case testing - empty inputs, null values, and unexpected data types. Always validate boundary conditions to write robust, production-ready php code.
Key Takeaways
- PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language that runs on a web server and sends HTML to the browser.
- 1. User visits yoursite.com/blog - browser sends an HTTP request to the server.
- 2. Web server (Nginx/Apache) receives the request and sees a .php file - it hands it to PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager).
- 3. PHP engine executes the script top to bottom, connects to databases, runs logic.