LinuxPlanet: Adding PHP to Apache on Linux Dec 23, 1999, 15 :14 UTC (0 Talkback[s]) (3972 reads) (Other stories by Ken Coar)
"...The technology that supports the Web continues to evolve, and one of the latest mutations involves capitalising on its very user-driven interactivity. The days of all-static content are past; the Web has evolved to a point at which many sites actually remember personal preferences for each of their (potentially millions) of visitors. News sites can display stories in only those categories you find interesting; online music stores can provide you with listings of new works sorted in order by your favourite artists; Web search engines can implicitly restrict the types of content they'll display. The possiilities are endless, and the key is generating a unique presentation for each viewer."
"There are a number of ways of accomplishing this, from the primitive fly-swatter capabilities provided by server-side includes to the tactical nuke Extra Strength features found in application servers. The PHP scripting language falls somewhere into the middle ground, supplying phenomenal capabilities for free."
"...PHP is a scripting language, with a particular affinity for and emphasis on enhancing Web pages. It has a syntax very similar to C (with a smattering of Perl and shell), and includes lots and lots of functions for things like database access, dealing with CGI requests, and image creation and manipulation."
