Bring Your Web Site to Life With PHP
Small
business owners may hear many technical "words"
but not sure about it. However, they want to automate part
of their business and hence, small business owners at least
requires some knowledge. This article introduces PHP, a web
development language.
PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, better known as PHP, is a highly
popular, server-side scripting language that can be embedded
directly into HTML coding.
PHP can do anything that CGI can do, such as process form
data
and auto generate dynamic content, but PHP can do much more.
It can be used on all major operating systems and supports
most
web servers.
PHP is used by inserting PHP code inside your web page's
HTML
code. When the page is called, your server automatically
executes the code. What's more, your visitors don't need any
special plug-ins for the code to run, as it will be displayed
just like your HTML coding.
As PHP is a server-side scripting language, although your
visitors will not need to install any new software, PHP must
be
set up on your server.
Following is a very simple script that will test your server
to
ensure PHP is installed. It is a standard PHP function called
phpinfo, which instructs the browser to print out information
in
regard to the set up of your server.
To use the script, simply copy the following three lines
of code
and paste them into a plain text editor, such as Note Pad.
Note: To enable the code to display properly, a period has
been
added following the opening bracket. You'll need to remove
this
period prior to using the code.
<.? phpinfo(); ?>
Save the file as phpinfo.php and upload it to your server
where
you store your HTML files.
To run the script, simply point your browser to the script
address. It should look something like this:
http://www.yourdomain.com/phpinfo.php
If PHP is installed on your server, you will be presented
with a
page of information about the PHP installed on your server.
If PHP isn't installed, you will be prompted to download
the
file. In this case, you'll need to contact your web host and
ask
them to install it, as it is free to download and install.
You can learn more about PHP and download it at
http://www.PHP.net.
If you'd like to try some PHP scripts on your site, here
are
some great scripts to get you started:
If you'd like to have a rotating ad system on your web site,
this great script is an open-source ad server that provides
a
professional ad management and tracking system. Not only can
you
rotate banner ads, but you can also rotate buttons, pop-ups,
text ads, DHTML banners and much more.
If you're looking for a simple way to display a "Quote
of the
Day," this script is for you. It consists of a simple
script
that's easy to customize. You simply add any number of quotes,
tips or whatever you'd like, into the database and the script
will display a new message each day.
Would you like to start your own blog? This script will enable
you to do just that. It's loaded with features, including
calendar, file attachments, event display, unlimited categories,
IP blocking, referrer tracking, search and much more.
Testing and tracking your marketing strategies is an important
part of doing business.
If you've ever wanted an easy way to set up a link indexing
system on your site, this script may be your answer. Link
Department will enable you to easily create and maintain a
link
directory. The system is fully manageable and completely
template driven, so it will easily blend in with your existing
design.
PhpBB is a fast and efficient, highly customizable, open-
source
bulletin board system. This highly professional looking system
will enable you to create an interactive community on your
web
site and keep your visitors coming back again and again.
To learn more about PHP, visit the following web sites:
http://www.alt-php-faq.org/ http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/
To find more PHP scripts, visit the following web sites:
http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/index.html
http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/
PHP is a freely distributed open-source language, which means
if
you would like to learn the language, there is a wealth of
information available on the Internet to assist you. Why not
give it a try? You may be surprised how easy it really is
to
write your own scripts.
---------------------------------------
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course,
Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com
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