Even if we never had a chance to open a .php file, we are sure to have heard about it at one time or another. Ever wondered what these type of files actually are? Well, t he files with the .php extension are primarily a type of script files and are generally associated with &qout;PHP&qout; program which is made by the PHP group itself. The reason these files are created is because they are the text files which can generate the HTML files which are sent to a web-browsing user. The meaning of PHP is Hypertext Processor. PHP was earlier an acronym which stood for ‘Personal Home Page&qout; but currently, it has become a term in itself. Technically, the PHP is a scripting language and is used extensively in developing numerous types of web pages and web applications.
So, what does this file format include?
The contents of a $$$FF$$$ file may include texts, tags and scripts. In the first step of their execution, they are processed by a remote server and in the next step, they are returned to the web browser of the user in the form of plain HTML format. Many a times, the .php files are used by different types of web pages in order to generate and process their online forms or for the purposes of procuring the information from the online databases. As an example, if a user is signing up for a mailing list or is submitting the contact details to a website, he may be doing this though a .php file format.
A bit more about the .php file format
The popularity and usefulness of the PHP format can be inferred just from the fact that it has been installed on more than 244 million websites and 2.1 million web servers till date. It is the software which is released with a genuine PHP license. However, this license is not compatible with the GNU General Public License (GPL). It is because of the restrictions placed on the usage of the PHP term .
An example of the database which uses the $$$FE$$ format is the MySQL database. These files can be opened in Windows with the Windows Server and can be edited with a text editor. The applications which use such files are Createacard (a type of quick prints project) by Broderbund, PhotoPrade by Callisto Corporation and Picture It Publishing by Microsoft Corporation.
Open PHP File on Windows OS
- Look for an PHP file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
- If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open PHP file
- If you have a program which can open PHP file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the PHP file
- If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “PHP wiki”, “how to open PHP file” in the search engine.
- Once you find the application, install it on your computer
- After the program is installed double-click on the PHP file to open it
File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open PHP file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open PHP file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open PHP file.