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| PHP Questions & Answers |
Very Short Answer
Q1. What is PHP?
Ans: PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development. It stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and is embedded within HTML.
Q2. Define a PHP file.
Ans: A PHP file contains PHP code and ends with a .php extension. It can also include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.
Q3. What is XAMPP?
Ans: XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server solution package. It includes Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.
Q4. What is htdocs?
Ans: htdocs is the root directory in XAMPP where all web files and PHP projects are stored to be accessed via the local server.
Q5. What is MySQL?
Ans: MySQL is an open-source relational database management system used to store, retrieve, and manage data in web applications.
Short Answer
Q1. Why should PHP be used?
Ans: PHP is widely used because it’s open-source, easy to learn, platform-independent, and supports many databases. It integrates well with HTML and is efficient for creating dynamic web pages. PHP is also supported by a large community and has extensive documentation.
Q2. What is the use of XAMPP?
Ans: XAMPP provides a complete web development environment with Apache server, MySQL database, and PHP interpreter. It enables users to test and develop PHP applications locally without an internet connection. It simplifies the setup process for running a web server on your computer.
Q3. How will you run PHP program on XAMPP?
Ans: Install XAMPP and place your PHP files in the htdocs folder. Start Apache from the XAMPP control panel, then access your file via localhost/filename.php in a browser. This simulates a server environment on your local machine.
Q4. Explain comments in PHP.
Ans: Comments in PHP are used to explain code and are ignored during execution. Single-line comments use // or #, while multi-line comments use /* comment
*/. They help improve code readability and understanding for developers.
Long Answer
Q1. Explain features of PHP in detail.
Ans: PHP is a powerful and widely-used scripting language mainly used for web development. One of its main features is that it's server-side, meaning the code is executed on the server. PHP is open-source, which makes it freely available and customizable. It is simple and easy to learn for beginners, and yet powerful enough for professionals to build complex web applications.
PHP is platform-independent, meaning it can run on Windows, Linux, or macOS. It supports a wide range of databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. PHP is embedded in HTML, allowing dynamic content generation on web pages. It supports various protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc.
Another key feature is its integration with popular CMS like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. PHP also has builtin support for sessions and cookies, making user tracking and login systems easier to implement. Due to its vast community support, PHP has rich documentation, libraries, and frameworks like Laravel, CodeIgniter, and Symfony.
Overall, PHP is a reliable, scalable, and flexible scripting language ideal for both small websites and large-scale enterprise web applications.
Q2. Write down steps to install XAMPP.
Ans:
1. Visit the official website https://www.apachefriends.org.
2. Download the XAMPP setup file compatible with your operating system (Windows/Linux/Mac).
3. Run the downloaded installer and follow the setup wizard.
4. Select the components you want to install (Apache, MySQL, PHP, etc.).
5. Choose the installation directory (default is C:\xampp).
6. Click “Next” and complete the installation process.
7. Once installed, open the XAMPP control panel.
8. Start Apache and MySQL services by clicking on “Start”.
9. To test if XAMPP is working, open a browser and type localhost.
10. If the dashboard appears, your installation is successful.
Q3. Write down steps to install MySQL.
Ans:
1. Visit the official MySQL website https://www.mysql.com.
2. Go to the Downloads section and select MySQL Community Server.
3. Choose your operating system and download the installer.
4. Run the installer and choose the setup type (Developer Default is recommended).
5. Click “Next” and follow the installation wizard instructions.
6. Configure the MySQL server by setting a root password.
7. Choose the port number (default is 3306).
8. Complete the configuration and install MySQL.
9. After installation, open MySQL Workbench or command line to verify.
10. Log in using root credentials and start creating databases.
Q4. Explain echo and print in PHP.
Ans:
In PHP, echo and print are both used to output data to the screen. echo is a language construct and slightly faster than print. It can take multiple parameters, although this usage is rare. echo does not return any value.
Example:
echo "Hello, world!";
print is also a language construct, but it always returns 1, so it can be used in expressions. It only takes a single argument.
Example:
print "Hello, world!";
Both are commonly used in PHP scripts to display text, variables, or HTML content. While there’s not much difference in practical use, developers may prefer one over the other based on coding style. For simple output, echo is usually preferred because it’s faster and slightly more flexible.

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