PHP: A Tourist's Guide

<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <title>PHP: A Tourist's Guide</title> <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" sizes="any" href="https://www.php.net/favicon.svg?v=2"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="196x196" href="https://www.php.net/favicon-196x196.png?v=2"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="https://www.php.net/favicon-32x32.png?v=2"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="https://www.php.net/favicon-16x16.png?v=2"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.php.net/favicon.ico?v=2"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="http://php.net/phpnetimprovedsearch.src" title="Add PHP.net search"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://www.php.net/releases/feed.php" title="PHP Release feed"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://www.php.net/feed.atom" title="PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.php.net/sites.php"> <link rel="shorturl" href="https://www.php.net/sites"> <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.php.net/sites" hreflang="x-default"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/cached.php?t=1707321815&f=/fonts/Fira/fira.css" media="screen"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/cached.php?t=1707321815&f=/fonts/Font-Awesome/css/fontello.css" media="screen"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/cached.php?t=1730558402&f=/styles/theme-base.css" media="screen"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/cached.php?t=1730558402&f=/styles/theme-medium.css" media="screen"> <base href="https://www.php.net/sites.php"> <meta name="Description" content="PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world." /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@official_php" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world." /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@official_php" /> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="https://www.php.net/images/meta-image.png" /> <meta itemprop="name" content="PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor" /> <meta itemprop="description" content="PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world." /> <meta itemprop="image" content="https://www.php.net/images/meta-image.png" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.php.net/images/meta-image.png" /> <meta property="og:description" content="PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world." /> <link href="https://fosstodon.org/@php" rel="me" /> </head> <body class="help "> <nav class="navbar navbar-fixed-top"> <div class="navbar__inner"> <a href="/" aria-label="PHP Home" class="navbar__brand"> <img src="/images/logos/php-logo-white.svg" aria-hidden="true" width="80" height="40" > </a> <div id="navbar__offcanvas" tabindex="-1" class="navbar__offcanvas" aria-label="Menu" > <button id="navbar__close-button" class="navbar__icon-item navbar_icon-item--visually-aligned navbar__close-button" > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path d="M19,6.41L17.59,5L12,10.59L6.41,5L5,6.41L10.59,12L5,17.59L6.41,19L12,13.41L17.59,19L19,17.59L13.41,12L19,6.41Z" /></svg> </button> <ul class="navbar__nav"> <li class="navbar__item"> <a href="/downloads.php" class="navbar__link " > Downloads </a> </li> <li class="navbar__item"> <a href="/docs.php" class="navbar__link " > Documentation </a> </li> <li class="navbar__item"> <a href="/get-involved.php" class="navbar__link " > Get Involved </a> </li> <li class="navbar__item"> <a href="/support.php" aria-current="page" class="navbar__link navbar__link--active " > Help </a> </li> <li class="navbar__item"> <a href="/releases/8.4/index.php" class="navbar__link navbar__release" > <img src="/images/php8/logo_php8_4.svg" alt="PHP 8.4"> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="navbar__right">  <form action="/manual-lookup.php" class="navbar__search-form" > <label for="navbar__search-input" aria-label="Search docs"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" > <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle> <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"></line> </svg> </label> <input type="search" name="pattern" id="navbar__search-input" class="navbar__search-input" placeholder="Search docs" accesskey="s" > <input type="hidden" name="scope" value="quickref"> </form>  <button id="navbar__search-button" class="navbar__search-button" hidden > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" > <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle> <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"></line> </svg> Search docs </button>  <a id="navbar__search-link" href="/lookup-form.php" aria-label="Search docs" class="navbar__icon-item navbar__search-link" > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" > <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle> <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"></line> </svg> </a> <a id="navbar__menu-link" href="/menu.php" aria-label="Menu" class="navbar__icon-item navbar_icon-item--visually-aligned navbar_menu-link" > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" > <path d="M3,6H21V8H3V6M3,11H21V13H3V11M3,16H21V18H3V16Z" /> </svg> </a>  <button id="navbar__search-button-mobile" aria-label="Search docs" class="navbar__icon-item navbar__search-button-mobile" hidden > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" > <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle> <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"></line> </svg> </button> <button id="navbar__menu-button" aria-label="Menu" class="navbar__icon-item navbar_icon-item--visually-aligned" hidden > <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" > <path d="M3,6H21V8H3V6M3,11H21V13H3V11M3,16H21V18H3V16Z" /> </svg> </button> </div> <div id="navbar__backdrop" class="navbar__backdrop" ></div> </div> <div id="flash-message"></div> </nav> <div class="headsup"><a href='/index.php#2024-11-21-4'>PHP 8.4.1 Released!</a></div> <nav id="trick"><div><dl> <dt><a href='/manual/en/getting-started.php'>Getting Started</a></dt> <dd><a href='/manual/en/introduction.php'>Introduction</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/tutorial.php'>A simple tutorial</a></dd> <dt><a href='/manual/en/langref.php'>Language Reference</a></dt> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.basic-syntax.php'>Basic syntax</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.types.php'>Types</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.variables.php'>Variables</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.constants.php'>Constants</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.expressions.php'>Expressions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.operators.php'>Operators</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.control-structures.php'>Control Structures</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.functions.php'>Functions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.oop5.php'>Classes and Objects</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.namespaces.php'>Namespaces</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.enumerations.php'>Enumerations</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.errors.php'>Errors</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.exceptions.php'>Exceptions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.fibers.php'>Fibers</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.generators.php'>Generators</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.attributes.php'>Attributes</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/language.references.php'>References Explained</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/reserved.variables.php'>Predefined Variables</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/reserved.exceptions.php'>Predefined Exceptions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/reserved.interfaces.php'>Predefined Interfaces and Classes</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/reserved.attributes.php'>Predefined Attributes</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/context.php'>Context options and parameters</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/wrappers.php'>Supported Protocols and Wrappers</a></dd> </dl> <dl> <dt><a href='/manual/en/security.php'>Security</a></dt> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.intro.php'>Introduction</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.general.php'>General considerations</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.cgi-bin.php'>Installed as CGI binary</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.apache.php'>Installed as an Apache module</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.sessions.php'>Session Security</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.filesystem.php'>Filesystem Security</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.database.php'>Database Security</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.errors.php'>Error Reporting</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.variables.php'>User Submitted Data</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.hiding.php'>Hiding PHP</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/security.current.php'>Keeping Current</a></dd> <dt><a href='/manual/en/features.php'>Features</a></dt> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.http-auth.php'>HTTP authentication with PHP</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.cookies.php'>Cookies</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.sessions.php'>Sessions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.file-upload.php'>Handling file uploads</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.remote-files.php'>Using remote files</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.connection-handling.php'>Connection handling</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.persistent-connections.php'>Persistent Database Connections</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.commandline.php'>Command line usage</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.gc.php'>Garbage Collection</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/features.dtrace.php'>DTrace Dynamic Tracing</a></dd> </dl> <dl> <dt><a href='/manual/en/funcref.php'>Function Reference</a></dt> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.basic.php.php'>Affecting PHP's Behaviour</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.audio.php'>Audio Formats Manipulation</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.remote.auth.php'>Authentication Services</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.cmdline.php'>Command Line Specific Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.compression.php'>Compression and Archive Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.crypto.php'>Cryptography Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.database.php'>Database Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.calendar.php'>Date and Time Related Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.fileprocess.file.php'>File System Related Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.international.php'>Human Language and Character Encoding Support</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.image.php'>Image Processing and Generation</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.remote.mail.php'>Mail Related Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.math.php'>Mathematical Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.nontext.php'>Non-Text MIME Output</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.fileprocess.process.php'>Process Control Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.basic.other.php'>Other Basic Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.remote.other.php'>Other Services</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.search.php'>Search Engine Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.server.php'>Server Specific Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.basic.session.php'>Session Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.basic.text.php'>Text Processing</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.basic.vartype.php'>Variable and Type Related Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.webservice.php'>Web Services</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.utilspec.windows.php'>Windows Only Extensions</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.xml.php'>XML Manipulation</a></dd> <dd><a href='/manual/en/refs.ui.php'>GUI Extensions</a></dd> </dl> <dl> <dt>Keyboard Shortcuts</dt><dt>?</dt> <dd>This help</dd> <dt>j</dt> <dd>Next menu item</dd> <dt>k</dt> <dd>Previous menu item</dd> <dt>g p</dt> <dd>Previous man page</dd> <dt>g n</dt> <dd>Next man page</dd> <dt>G</dt> <dd>Scroll to bottom</dd> <dt>g g</dt> <dd>Scroll to top</dd> <dt>g h</dt> <dd>Goto homepage</dd> <dt>g s</dt> <dd>Goto search<br>(current page)</dd> <dt>/</dt> <dd>Focus search box</dd> </dl></div></nav> <div id="goto"> <div class="search"> <div class="text"></div> <div class="results"><ul></ul></div> </div> </div> <div id="layout" class="clearfix"> <section id="layout-content"> <h1 class="content-header">PHP.net: A Tourist's Guide</h1> <p class="content-box"> Everyone knows the <code>php.net</code> site. All of us went there sooner or later, and will keep going back there. This is the central reference point for PHP users, and there is a wealth of information there. Not all of it is obvious. Come with me, I'll show you. </p> <h2 id="www" class="content-header"><a href="http://php.net/">php.net</a>: Main Website</h2> <div class="content-box"> <p> This is the primary web site. The front page is where major news is published: new PHP versions, security updates, and new projects launched. This site is also <a href="/mirrors.php">mirrored in dozens of countries worldwide</a>. </p> <p> This is the home of the <a href="/downloads.php">download page</a>, for everyone to get the latest version of the PHP source code and binaries for Windows. The current and next-to-current versions are available there. (There is also a <a href="http://museum.php.net/">PHP Museum</a>, which has all of the source distributions since June 1996.) </p> <p> The next most visited section is the <a href="/docs.php">documentation</a>. The documentation is translated into twelve different languages, and is available in <a href="/download-docs.php">a variety of different formats</a>. Users are able to read notes on the documentation left by other users, and contribute their own notes. The documentation is a real community project by itself! </p> <p> The <a href="/support.php">support</a> page has all the directions to a wealth of resources both inside and outside of PHP.net. The community has built a huge network of knowledge bases, PHP user groups, and training sessions where anyone can have his or her questions answered. Non-English-speaking users also get a large share of attention. </p> <p> Now, buckle up your seat belt, and stop smoking. Here are the no-light streets: </p> </div> <h2 id="talks" class="content-header"> <a href="http://talks.php.net/">talks.php.net</a>: Conference Materials </h2> <p class="content-box"> This is where speakers at various PHP-related conferences keep their slides. It covers all sorts of topics, from the famous 'Rasmus' introduction to PHP to the latest 'PHP system administration', through PEAR and advanced topics. All those slides are available within the PHP slide application. </p> <h2 id="news" class="content-header"> <a href="http://news.php.net/">news.php.net</a>: Mailing Lists Web and NNTP Interface </h2> <p class="content-box"> news.php.net is the web interface to the PHP mailing lists. If you're not subscribed to the mailing lists, but you still want to keep in touch regularly, this is your place. An infinite pile of fresh news and trends of PHP. You can also point your news reader at the NNTP server at news.php.net to follow the lists. </p> <h2 id="pear" class="content-header"> <a href="http://pear.php.net/">pear.php.net</a>: The PHP Extension and Application Repository </h2> <p class="content-box"> PEAR is the next revolution in PHP. This repository is bringing higher level programming to PHP. PEAR is a framework and distribution system for reusable PHP components. It eases installation by bringing an automated wizard, and packing the strength and experience of PHP users into a nicely organised OOP library. </p> <h2 id="pecl" class="content-header"> <a href="http://pecl.php.net/">pecl.php.net</a>: The PHP Extension Community Library </h2> <p class="content-box"> PECL is a repository for PHP Extensions, providing a directory of all known extensions and hosting facilities for downloading and development of PHP extensions. <br> The packaging and distribution system used by PECL is shared with its sister, PEAR. </p> <h2 id="bugs" class="content-header"><a href="https://bugs.php.net/">bugs.php.net</a>: Bug Database</h2> <p class="content-box"> The bug database is where you can bring problems with PHP to the attention of developers (but don't forget to double-check that somebody else hasn't already reported the same problem!). </p> <h2 id="doc" class="content-header"><a href="https://doc.php.net/">doc.php.net</a>: Documentation Tools</h2> <p class="content-box"> This page provides set of useful tools for PHP Manual translators and contributors. </p> <h2 id="qa" class="content-header"><a href="https://qa.php.net/">qa.php.net</a>: Quality Assurance Team</h2> <p class="content-box"> The Quality Assurance team is one of the most important pieces of the PHP project, protecting users from bugs. It is gathered around the QA mailing list, and this site allows anyone to provide tests and experience to the release process. </p> <h2 id="git" class="content-header"><a href="https://github.com/php/">github.com/php/</a>: Git Repository</h2> <div class="content-box"> <p> The PHP project is organized with a Git server, and this website is the web interface to it. There you can browse the history (and latest versions) of the source code for all of the PHP projects. For example, the <a href="https://github.com/php/php-src">php-src</a> module is the repository for the source code to the latest version of PHP itself. Checking out the source code can be done <a href="git.php">anonymously</a>. </p> <p> Using <a href="https://heap.space/">OpenGrok</a> is another option to view the source code, and it offers additional features like search and cross referencing. </p> </div> <h2 id="wiki" class="content-header"><a href="https://wiki.php.net/">wiki.php.net</a>: The PHP Wiki</h2> <p class="content-box"> Home of the official PHP wiki, this site contains information related to php.net like RFCs, GSOC information, and TODO files. Most every aspect of the PHP project has a wiki section and everyone is able to apply for wiki commit access. </p> <h2 id="windows" class="content-header"><a href="https://windows.php.net/">windows.php.net</a>: PHP for Windows</h2> <p class="content-box"> This site is dedicated to supporting PHP on Microsoft Windows. It also supports ports of PHP extensions or features as well as providing special builds for the various Windows architectures. </p> <h2 id="people" class="content-header"><a href="https://people.php.net/">people.php.net</a>: The PHP Developers Profiles</h2> <p class="content-box"> A list of the developers behind PHP along with quick profiles for each of them. </p> </section> <aside class="tips"> <div class="inner"> <p class='panel'><a href="#www">Main Website</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#talks">Conference Materials</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#news">Mailing Lists Web and NNTP Interface</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#pear">The PHP Extension and Application Repository</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#pecl">The PHP Extension Community Library</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#bugs">Bug Database</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#doc">Documentation collaboration</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#qa">Quality Assurance Team</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#git">Git Repository</a></p> <p class='panel'><a href="#wiki">The PHP Wiki</a></h2> <p class='panel'><a href="#windows">PHP for Windows</a></h2> <p class='panel'><a href="#people">The PHP Developers Profiles</a></h2> </div> </aside> </div> <footer> <div class="container footer-content"> <div class="row-fluid"> <ul class="footmenu"> <li><a href="/copyright.php">Copyright © 2001-2024 The PHP Group</a></li> <li><a href="/my.php">My PHP.net</a></li> <li><a href="/contact.php">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/sites.php">Other PHP.net sites</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy.php">Privacy policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/php/web-php/blob/master/sites.php">View Source</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </footer> <script src="/cached.php?t=1731172202&f=/js/ext/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script> <script src="/cached.php?t=1723177202&f=/js/ext/FuzzySearch.min.js"></script> <script src="/cached.php?t=1707321815&f=/js/ext/mousetrap.min.js"></script> <script src="/cached.php?t=1707321815&f=/js/ext/jquery.scrollTo.min.js"></script> <script src="/cached.php?t=1730558402&f=/js/search.js"></script> <script src="/cached.php?t=1731172202&f=/js/common.js"></script> <a id="toTop" href="javascript:;"><span id="toTopHover"></span><img width="40" height="40" alt="To Top" src="/images/to-top@2x.png"></a> <div id="search-modal__backdrop" class="search-modal__backdrop"> <div role="dialog" aria-label="Search modal" id="search-modal" class="search-modal" > <div class="search-modal__header"> <div class="search-modal__form"> <div class="search-modal__input-icon">  <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" > <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle> <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"></line> </svg> </div> <input type="search" id="search-modal__input" class="search-modal__input" placeholder="Search docs" aria-label="Search docs" /> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="search-modal__close">  <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" width="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" > <path d="M19,6.41L17.59,5L12,10.59L6.41,5L5,6.41L10.59,12L5,17.59L6.41,19L12,13.41L17.59,19L19,17.59L13.41,12L19,6.41Z"/> </svg> </button> </div> <div role="listbox" aria-label="Search results" id="search-modal__results" class="search-modal__results" ></div> <div class="search-modal__helper-text"> <div> <kbd>↑</kbd> and <kbd>↓</kbd> to navigate • <kbd>Enter</kbd> to select • <kbd>Esc</kbd> to close </div> <div> Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> without selection to search using Google </div> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

PHP: A Tourist's Guide