Why PHP and MySQL?

Cost

Both PHP and MySQL is opensource so it is very low cost to use PHP and MySQL. MySQL is licensed for some users but though it is not a community-developed software.

Ease of Use

PHP is easy to learn and use compared to other language. It doesn’t required you to have deep understanding of programming. PHP has syntax which is easy to use and user friendly. As it is an opensource you can find lots of free scripts on the internet to help you learn PHP. You need to be aware of some basic principles, but you can avoid some frustrating and time-consuming mistakes.

HTML-embeddedness

PHP is easy embedded within HTML. Actually PHP pages are basically a HTML page that runs the PHP code when necessary.

Cross-platform compatibility

PHP and MySQL has Cross-Platform Compatibility. It means PHP and MySQL can run on every system like Mac OS, UNIX, Windows etc. PHP is compatible with the three leading Web servers: Apache HTTP Server for UNIX and Windows, Microsoft Internet Information Server, and Netscape Enterprise Server.

Not tag-based

PHP is real programming language

Stability

The word stable means two different things in this context:

• The server doesn’t need to be rebooted often.
  
• The software doesn’t change radically and incompatibly from release to release.

To our advantage, both of these connotations apply to both MySQL and PHP.

Speed

PHP is pleasing speed in its execution, especially when compiled as an Apache module on the UNIX side. PHP5 is much faster for almost every use than CGI scripts.

We will look at some other reasons later.