PHP is a programming language specifically written to generate HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the language used to create web pages. PHP has an incredibly rich library of functions to do every conceivable kind of operation on a web site, from processing data entry forms to manipulating graphic images and managing databases. Its command structure borrows heavily from the “C” programming language, regarded as one of the most powerful languages available. (The Unix and Linux operating systems are written in C.)

The name “PHP” is a recursive acronym, standing for “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor”. It derives from an older program named “Personal Home Page / Forms Interpreter” (PHP/FI), which was released as Open Source in 1995. It quickly became a favorite tool for web developers and gathered a large group of volunteer supporters who contributed greatly to its growth and development. Persons interested in learning more about php can visit their web site at http://www.php.net/ or consult their very extensive on-line manual at http://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php.

Mashwebdesign.com uses PHP extensively in the web sites we design. Most of our web pages are dynamically generated, meaning that the page that the web visitor sees is not stored on the server, but is generated by the server on the fly at the visitor’s request from a set of PHP instructions. The majority of our sites utilize a template file, which contains all the information about the overall design of all the pages on a particular site. This allows us to make design changes that affect all the pages of even a very large site by editing only a single file.

PHP runs under Apache server software on Unix machines, and is very fast and efficient, making for very fast loading web pages. Over the years, WebSpinners.com has developed a sizeable collection of PHP scripts which can be adapted to our clients’ needs.

Anything on a web page that changes with each visitor, or that accepts keyboard input, from a visitor counter to a data entry form or a shopping cart, requires a small program, called a script. These programs can either be executed on the web site’s host computer (server side) or downloaded and run on the visitor’s computer (client side). Because client side scripts can significantly slow the delivery of web pages to visitors with slower internet connections and can place an unwanted burden on older and slower computers, WebSpinners.com prefers to use server side scripts wherever possible. Server side scripts can be written in any computer language that the hosting web server supports.

Mashwebdesign.com specializes in custom scripts designed to meet our clients exact needs. Whether you need a searchable database, and the forms for entering your data into it, or a web page whose content you can change from your home or office computer, or a complete eCommerce site with online credit card payment, we can provide the scripts required for the job.

We also have a number of generalized PHP scripts which can be incorporated into a client’s site at a very modest cost (typically from 2 to 4 hours at our standard hourly rate). This include a Site Visitor Counter (free to all clients hosted with Mashwebdesign.com referred web hosting sites), or schedules of interest to your web site visitors, a Password Management System, where you or a designated administrator can add or delete passwords for other users, staff members, or whoever else you wish to have access, and a GuestBook*, where visitors can leave comments about your site (useful for gathering postal or email mailing lists of visitors interested in your products or services).