PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular open-source server-side scripting language primarily used for web development. It is embedded within HTML and executed on the server to generate dynamic web page content. PHP is known for its simplicity, flexibility, and ease of integration with various databases, especially MySQL. It supports object-oriented programming and a wide range of frameworks such as Laravel, CodeIgniter, and Symfony, which help in building robust and secure web applications. PHP is platform-independent and runs efficiently on all major operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is widely used in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. PHP handles form data, session tracking, file uploads, and server-side validation with ease. With continuous updates and community support, PHP remains one of the most widely used and reliable technologies for backend development in web applications.