|
PHP is a programming language that is very similar to the language C or C++. However, because of its immense utility as a web hosting server application, it is more commonly referred to as a scripting language. The history of PHP dates back to 1994 when it was first developed by a Danish programmer Rasmus Lerdorf. Rasmus wanted to develop a script that could provide them with a better functionality for his personal home page on his web hosting server as compared with the Perl scripts which he was previously using. This is where PHP got its name from "Personal Home Page". The first PHP application was marked with the name PHP/FI which not only had a much broader implementation of C language but also had the ability to communicate with databases residing on a web hosting server. This made it possible to create dynamic pages where the content would be created on-the-fly by the web hosting server.
Static HTML documents are created either by developers using direct coding or by beginners using a web development application such as Hotdog Professional or Adobe Macromedia Dreamweaver. Their main disadvantage is that firstly all the webpages need to be modified in case one element is redesigned or modified, and secondly that the output is not custom tailored to the requirements of the user. PHP files solve both of these issues. By including PHP scripts at particular points within a webpage, a web hosting server supporting PHP functionality can pull the code for any common elements in a PHP file that are also used by other documents on the website. Secondly, a user interacting with a PHP webpage can specify his/her preferences and then click the submit or other similar button to get the information that satisfies the user-specified criteria.
PHP scripts are embedded into normal HTML documents and the resulting files are saved with a .php extension which enables them to be recognized by the web hosting server. Not all web hosting services provide PHP functionality, consequently it is extremely important to locate a PHP web hosting company in case you want PHP functionality. The markups <?php (or equivalently <?) and ?> specify the starting and ending points for a PHP script residing within a document. PHP files can also be used to include another HTML or PHP file using the <? include "FileName"?> tag.
All of the above mentioned functionality can be used by hosting your website on a web hosting server that supports PHP technology. However, the best cited reason for using PHP on a website is its ability to communicate with MySQL databases. This gives a new dimension to the creation and maintenance of dynamic content on a site. And this is one of the major reasons why PHP web hosting has become so popular and is used by some of the mega-websites such as Yahoo, Facebook, Wikipedia, Joomla etc. According to April 2007 statistics, more than 20 million websites are making use of PHP Web hosting on their websites and mod PHP has been recorded as the most popular PHP module for Apache. The most recent version of PHP is version 5 which was released in the year 2008. All the top 10 web hosting companies listed at WHL support PHP functionality.
|
|
|
 |
Ranking Updated: Jan 17, 2010 |
|
|
|
|
01 . Heart Internet UK |
User Reviews  |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
5 GB Disk Space, 30 GB Data Transfer, 1000 POP3 & IMAP Email Accounts, Online File Manager, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
£2.49/month + VAT! |
|
 |
|
|
02 . FatCow
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting company offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, Unlimited Email Accounts, Unlimited MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Perl, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$4.83/month! |
|
 |
|
|
03 . IX Hosting
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, 5000 POP3/IMAP Email Accounts, 50 MySQL, 2 FREE Domains, 8 Dedicated IPs, CGI, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$9.95/month (Special Promo - $7.95/month)! |
|
 |
|
|
04 . BlueHost
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, 2500 POP3 Email Accounts, 100 MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, SSL, Stats, CGI, Perl, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$6.95/month (Special Promo - $3.95/month)! |
|
 |
|
|
05 . WebHostingPad
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting company offering
Unlimited Disk Space, unlimited Data Transfer, unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, unlimited MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Perl, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$3.96/month (This Weekend Only - $1.99/month)! |
|
 |
|
|
06 . iPowerWeb
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
1500 GB Disk Space, 15000 GB Data Transfer, Unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, 25 MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$7.95/month! |
|
 |
|
|
07 . HostDime
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account - (no lengthy contracts) |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting company offering
200 GB Disk Space, 2000 GB Data Transfer, unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, unlimited MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Perl, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
90 Days money back -
$8.25/month! (monthly @ $9 + FREE setup) |
|
 |
|
|
08 . PowWeb
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, Unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, 75 MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, Easy Website Builder, 24/7 web hosting provider Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$7.77/month (1st Year - $3.88/month)! |
|
 |
|
|
09 . HostMonster
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting provider offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, Unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, 100 MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$5.95/month (Special Promo - $3.95/month)! |
|
 |
|
|
10 . IPOWER
Host Unlimited Domains in 1 account - (no lengthy contracts) |
User Reviews |
|
Review |
PHP web hosting company offering
Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Data Transfer, Unlimited POP3 Email Accounts, 25 MySQL, FREE Domain, Ecommerce, CGI, Perl, Frontpage, 24/7 Support, FREE Setup &
30 Days money back -
$7.95/month (1st Year - $5.95/month)! (monthly @ $6.95 + $30 setup) |
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
PHP Web Hosting News
|
-
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:10:16 GMT+00:00
Top 5 Free Web Hosting Providers Today - ozCarGuide
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
FREE Newsletter |
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and keep up-to-date on Exciting New offers from Hosts. Plus you will also be notified of site updates such as review of new Hosts, change in ranks of Hosts etc.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
