History of php language

With Php around 75% of websites are built, including:

✅ Facebook

✅ WordPress

✅ Wikipedia and many more...

 

PHP was created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf as a simple tool to track visitors on his website. At first, it was just a set of scripts written in C, called "Personal Home Page Tools" (PHP Tools).

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PHP Evolution: A Journey Through Time

📌 🔹 PHP 8 (2020 - Present)
💡 Super Fast!

• Introduced JIT (Just-In-Time Compilation) for extreme speed 🚀
• Modern features for efficient coding

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📌 🔹 PHP 7 (2015)
💡 2x Faster than PHP 5!

• Improved performance & error handling ⚡
• Better memory usage

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📌 🔹 PHP 5 (2004)
💡 Supports Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

• Stronger database handling 📊
• Improved security & XML support 🔐

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📌 🔹 PHP 4 (2000)
💡 Faster & More Secure

• Introduced Zend Engine (core of PHP)
• Better session handling & performance

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📌 🔹 PHP 3 (1998)
💡 Major Upgrade!

• Renamed to PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
• Became a full-fledged programming language

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📌 🔹 1997 – Big Rewrite!
💡 New Developers Join the Game 🎮

• Zeev Suraski & Andi Gutmans rewrote PHP
• Made it more powerful & flexible

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📌 🔹 PHP/FI (1995)
💡 First Official Version

• Allowed users to create web forms 📑
• Basic database interaction

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📌 🔹 PHP Tools (1994) – The Beginning
💡 Invented by Rasmus Lerdorf

• A small script to track website visitors 👀
• Originally called Personal Home Page Tools

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10+ PHP history interview questions and answers

Question 1. Who created PHP and when?

Answer: PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 as a small set of scripts to track website visitors.

 

Question 2. What was PHP originally called?

Answer: PHP was first called "Personal Home Page Tools" (PHP Tools).

 

Question 3. What was PHP/FI, and why was it important?

Answer: PHP/FI (PHP/Form Interpreter) was the first official version of PHP, released in 1995. It allowed developers to create web forms and interact with databases.

 

Question 4. Who helped improve PHP in 1997?

Answer: Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans rewrote PHP in 1997, making it more powerful and laying the foundation for PHP 3.

 

Question 5. What does PHP stand for now?

Answer: PHP stands for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor." It is a recursive acronym.

 

Question 6. When was PHP 3 released, and what was special about it?

Answer: PHP 3 was released in 1998 and was the first version to officially use the name "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor." It became a full scripting language for web development.

 

Question 7. What major change did PHP 4 bring in 2000?

Answer: PHP 4 introduced the Zend Engine, which improved performance and made PHP faster and more efficient. It also enhanced session handling and security.

 

Question 8. Why was PHP 5 an important release?

Answer: Released in 2004, PHP 5 introduced Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), improved database support, and stronger security features.

 

Question 9. What made PHP 7 better than PHP 5?

Answer: PHP 7, released in 2015, was twice as fast as PHP 5, had better memory management, and introduced improved error handling.

 

Question 10. What is the latest version of PHP, and what are its key features?

Answer: The latest version is PHP 8, released in 2020. It introduced Just-In-Time (JIT) Compilation for better performance and added modern programming features.

 

Question 11. How widely is PHP used today?

Answer: PHP powers around 75% of websites, including platforms like Facebook, WordPress, and Wikipedia.