what is PHP exactly

[celebrateart]

It's ockward for me asking but I rather ask you guys here, whats the difference with .HTML to .PHP?

thanks

Dennis

[Databits]

HTML is a markup language designed for data layout and display (Hyper Text Markup Language). HTML is static information which doesn't change without the aid of something else (Javascript on the front-end and/or PHP, Ruby, ASP, etc... on the server-side).

PHP (as well as Ruby, ASP, and a few other things) is a server-side interpreted programming language which is typically used for generating HTML or other content dynamically.

That's about as well as I can explain it as I'm not really a teacher.

[celebrateart]

So is more easier or better to use? Or is it better to stick with HTML?

[tickyhead]

HTML is easier, but PHP is better. If you just want a simple website without too much that could go wrong, then HTML is the simpler option. If you want a dynamic website that allows for near limitless customization, including but not limited to visitor participation, then you want PHP, but it's harder to get the hang of, and things can go pretty damn wrong if you don't code it right.

At least, that's how I've always figured it.

Also, "awkward."

[Databits]

Well, the other main difference is you generally use HTML and PHP together, not separately (well I suppose you could if you're serving up pages in something silly like plain text, xml, or something else). So you'd need to learn both in that case.

If you're just starting out with this stuff, I suggest just sticking to HTML and getting an understanding on what it is. Think of PHP as an extension to make it do more than it's initially able to.