PHP is general-purpose scripting language and the efficient alternative to competitors such as Microsoft's ASP. It is widely used for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. This language is based on an Object Oriented Architecture and its syntax is very similar to Perl and C. Being an open source language, a large number of libraries and extensions, to extend its core functionalities are available for download. It also offers excellent connectivity to many databases including MySQL, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Solid, PostgreSQL, and Generic ODBC.

Officially known as "HyperText Preprocessor", PHP scripts or codes can be embedded within HTML pages. It can be used to create web applications ranging from personal websites, e-commerce applications and community web portals i.e. discussion forums, blogs etc. It can also be used for command-line scripting and client-side GUI application development. Today, the endless possibilities of the PHP scripting language and a great community of users have made it one of the most popular open-source languages.