Digital technology is advancing on a massive scale. New and improved versions of software and applications are invented every day. 

The world has become a global village, creating an ever-growing need for newer, faster, and better digital technologies. Web development is one of the most crucial aspects of digital technology.

Web development refers to the creation of web pages. It is very useful in today's digital age and is used in various scenarios, from informational and tutorial sites to eCommerce. 

Web development and the Internet go hand in hand. Advancements in either pave the way for the other to follow.

So, if you are a beginner in web development, you must understand some basic concepts. One of the most essential concepts in web development is PHP programming.

So, if you are a beginner in PHP programming and want to know more, this blog is for you. We will discuss PHP programming, its features and the workings of online PHP compiler. We will also delve into the concept of PHP explode.  

So, let us learn together these concepts of Web development.

What is PHP?

PHP, also known as Hypertext PreProcessor, is the most popular and resourceful open-source, general-purpose server-side scripting language. It is made specifically for web development. Rasmus Lerdorf created the PHP language in 1994; but got released on 28 November 1995. This language has been updated many times since its release. 

Some essential points of PHP are listed below:

PHP does not need any sort of compilation. This shortens the time taken and is efficient. This feature makes it an interpreted language. PHP has quick execution and is better optimized. This makes it faster and more efficient than other scripting languages like JSP and ASP.PHP processes the provided data and generates dynamic web pages from it. This is an essential feature of a server-side scripting language.PHP is embeddable into HTML.PHP supports object-oriented programming (OOP). It is, therefore, an object-oriented language.PHP is an accessible, free, and open-source scripting language.PHP has a simple and easy-to-understand user interface. This makes it helpful for beginners. 

Uses of PHP

There are a lot of uses for PHP. Some of them are listed below: 

PHP is used to process data and create dynamic web pages. This lets the user interact with the databases.PHP lets you create sessions.PHP can both access and set cookies variables. This lets PHP store and retrieve data on the user's browser. PHP lets you encrypt the data as well as apply validation.PHP supports many protocols. Some are SNMP, HTTP, IMAP, POP3, and LDAP.PHP scripting language lets you control the user access to some web pages of your website. This is necessary to create a tailored experience.PHP is straightforward to learn and understand. It can be installed and set up in a very short time. This makes it one of the best scripting languages for beginners to learn.PHP lets the user handle forms and stores this information in databases. It then returns to the user with relevant information.

Let us now learn about the concept of PHP explode.

What is PHP explode?

PHP explode is a built-in function in PHP that is used to split a single string into various strings. PHP explode uses a specific delimiter (a character used to define boundaries within data useful in segmentation) to divide a string. 

The appearance of the delimiter is responsible for splitting the string. This results in numerous substrings. This function is binary-safe and is helpful in string segmentation. 

This is the syntax of PHP explode:

array explode(delimiter, String, NumOfElements)

Uses of PHP explode

There are many uses for the PHP explode option. Some of them are listed below.

Breaking Sentences: You can split a sentence into words using spaces as the delimiter.Handling Lists: It's handy for turning comma-separated lists into arrays of individual items.Extracting Data: When a common separator is used on the data, you can extract essential parts easily.URL Parsing: Split URLs into parts like protocol, domain, and path for analysis.Parsing CSV: For simple CSV files, you can split lines into arrays of values.Handling Tags: Separate tags in content to manipulate or style them differently.Dealing with User Input: Split user input into manageable parts for processing or validation.Extracting Values: From query strings, split key-value pairs to access specific values.Data Transformation: Convert text-based data into structured arrays for further processing.Custom Parsing: Break down custom-formatted strings to access different segments of information.

Online PHP compiler

Online PHP compilers are a mainstay for any developer. They allow writing, testing, debugging and executing the PHP code without using or installing any application. 

These online PHP compilers are purely online and can be used on your browser. 

These compilers allow you to run the code, displaying the real-time output. This negates the need for setting up an environment on your computer that is purely development based. 

Online PHP compilers are most helpful to beginners. These compilers let them experiment with their writing without having the setup for more expansive projects.

Some of the most commonly used online PHP compilers are:

Coding NinjasJDoodleRepl.itOnline PHP Editor

How is PHP code compiled?

PHP is interpreted. However, PHP gets compiled and turns into an intermediate bytecode, This intermediate bytecode is then subsequently interpreted.

Simply put, PHP is compiled to byte code before it is run on the server. Then that byte code can be cached so that the whole script doesn't have to be re-interpreted with every web access.

This is the step-by-step process of PHP code compilation and interpretation:

Parsing: The PHP interpreter of the server reads the code.Tokenization: The code is divided into smaller units like keywords and variables.AST Creation: An Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) outlines the code's structure.Compilation: The AST is transformed into a more straightforward format that the machine can understand for execution. This is where the interpretation of code starts.Opcode Generation: Specific instructions (opcodes) are generated.Execution: PHP runs these opcodes, completing actions and producing results.Dynamic Typing: Variables can change types during execution, offering flexibility but requiring careful handling.Immediate Output: PHP generates output as it runs. This makes it practical for dynamic web content.

Conclusion

PHP code is an interpreted language and is not compiled like programming languages. Instead, it's interpreted. The steps used in PHP interpretation are necessary for the execution of the code. 

Online PHP compilers provide many tools for efficient PHP coding, one of them being the PHP explode, used in separating strings.