PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a widely used server-side scripting language that is especially well-suited for web development. It has a rich history that spans several decades, with its origins dating back to the mid-1990s.
Birth of PHP (1994): PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. Initially, it was a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) binaries written in the C programming language, designed to track visits to his online resume. Lerdorf named it "Personal Home Page Tools" and later changed it to "Hypertext Preprocessor."
PHP/FI (1995): Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans, two Israeli developers, rewrote the original PHP in 1997 and created PHP/FI (Forms Interpreter). This version added support for web forms and introduced more advanced features, such as the ability to connect to databases.
PHP 3 (1998): The next significant milestone was the release of PHP 3 in 1998. With this version, PHP matured into a more stable and powerful scripting language. PHP 3 included support for databases like MySQL, mSQL, and PostgreSQL, marking it as a robust solution for dynamic web content.
PHP 4 (2000): PHP 4, released in 2000, brought substantial improvements to the language. It featured a new Zend Engine, an execution engine for PHP written by Suraski and Gutmans. The Zend Engine significantly enhanced the performance and capabilities of PHP, making it a more competitive option for web development.
PHP 5 (2004): PHP 5, launched in 2004, introduced the concept of object-oriented programming (OOP) to PHP. It included a new memory manager, improved error handling, and enhanced support for XML. The introduction of the Zend Engine 2 further optimized performance.
PHP 6 (Development Abandoned): The PHP community initially planned a PHP 6 release with native Unicode support. However, due to difficulties and delays in implementing this feature, the development of PHP 6 was eventually abandoned.
PHP 7 (2015): PHP 7, released in 2015, marked a significant leap forward in terms of performance. The Zend Engine 3, which powers PHP 7, brought substantial speed improvements. Additionally, PHP 7 introduced new features like scalar type declarations, return type declarations, and the null coalescing operator.
PHP 8 (2020): PHP 8, released in 2020, continued the trend of performance enhancements and introduced numerous language improvements. Notable features included the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler, union types, named arguments, and attributes.
Throughout its history, PHP has evolved from a simple tool for tracking online resumes to a powerful, versatile scripting language that underpins a significant portion of the web. It remains a popular choice for web developers due to its ease of use, extensive documentation, and a vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks.