We purchased a business that was writted in php - all of our other sites are written in html. php seems to be more difficult to change. What is the advantage of php over html?

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PHP files are just like HTML files, but they can include both HTML and PHP code. The PHP code is parsed (or executed) by the Web server when the page is accessed and the resulting output is written as HTML within the Web page. When a user accesses a PHP page, his Web browser only gets sent the HTML code, since the Web server has processed the PHP code in the background. Most PHP pages are processed so quickly that it does not noticeably slow down the loading of the Web page.

The .php extension is important, since it tells the Web server that the page may include PHP code. Therefore, it must be run through the server's PHP engine before being sent to a client's Web browser. This allows dynamic content to be generated each time the Web page is loaded, based on the variables included in the PHP code. For example, PHP pages may load objects such as the current date and time, data from form fields submitted by a user, or information from a database. Still, once the page reaches the user's Web browser, everything is formatted as HTML.

Thanks I have seen the term php thrown around but I was not quite sure what it meant

Excuse my ignorance but how does XHTML fit into the web is it a part of html?

Alright, first to answer your PHP to HTML question. PHP can be more work to maintain if coded wrong. The way I use it is I setup a single page which is the template of the site and I run all other pages through that single timeplate page. This way when I add a new page, I only have to add the page once. Also, PHP can do form mailers, guest books, members areas, shopping carts, etc. It can be the glue which allows a site to work with a database and display information dynamically.

Now, XHTML vs HTML. The main different is XHTML has a stricter standard which can be easier understood by browsers. For more information go here.
XHTML vs HTML

If you have any more questions feel free to let me know. This is part of what I do for my customers when developing and helping them maintain their site.

HTML is a markup language, it is used to tell the browsers how to display and what to display on any page. Even a php page uses html to do the same.

Then how does php help ?

Basically, php is used for many things like
talking to a website database
authentication for web pages
differentiating between various users/visitors on web page
uploading documents and pictures
payment integration to website
and many more..

hope that helps,


Steve Smith
steve[at]pixVista.com