Easy Steps to write a PHP code in Different ways
Open a text editor, such as VSCode, Notepad.
Write your PHP code.
Save the file with a .php extension (e.g., example.php).
Save the File in XAMPP Directory:
After writing your code, save it in the XAMPP htdocs folder.
If XAMPP is installed on your C: drive, the file path should be C:/xampp/htdocs.
Run PHP Code in Browser:
Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Start the Apache and MySQL servers.
In a web browser, type localhost/filename.php to run the PHP file.
If your file is in a subfolder within htdocs, use localhost/subfolder_name/filename.php.
Three Ways to Write PHP Code:
Without HTML Markup:
You can write PHP code without any HTML tags when there is no need for a user interface.
<?php
$a = 20;
$b = 10;
$c = $a + $b;
echo "The addition of a and b is " . $c;
?>
Output:
The addition of a and b is 30
Embedding HTML in PHP Code:
PHP code can include HTML tags, allowing you to generate HTML content dynamically.
<?php
echo "<html>";
echo "<h1>Welcome</h1>";
echo "</html>";
?>
//output Welcome
Embedding PHP in HTML:
You can insert PHP code inside HTML for dynamic content on web pages.
<html>
<body>
<?php
echo "Your first PHP code";
?>
</body>
</html>
//output Your first PHP code
Choosing the Best Approach:
All three methods are effective, and the choice depends on your project:
HTML-Only Front-End: If you only need to create static front-end pages, HTML alone is sufficient.
Dynamic Pages with Database: For dynamic pages interacting with a database, use PHP embedded in HTML.
Regardless of the method, always save your files with the .php extension to ensure that your code interacts with the server and database.
Important Tip:
XAMPP is required to run PHP programs locally. Ensure you save all PHP files in the htdocs folder and follow the steps mentioned above to view them in a browser.
Keep Learning 🙂