Some important PHP interview questions along with their answers:

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Here are some important PHP interview questions along with their answers:

  1. What is PHP?
  • Answer: PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is a server-side scripting language used for web development to create dynamic web pages.
  1. What is the latest version of PHP as of my knowledge cutoff date (September 2021)?
  • Answer: The latest version of PHP as of September 2021 was PHP 8.0.
  1. Explain the difference between PHP and JavaScript.
  • Answer: PHP is a server-side scripting language, which means it is executed on the server to generate dynamic content before sending it to the client’s browser. JavaScript, on the other hand, is a client-side scripting language, which is executed in the user’s browser after the web page has been loaded.
  1. What is the purpose of the echo and print functions in PHP?
  • Answer: Both echo and print are used to output text in PHP. The key difference is that echo is slightly faster and can take multiple parameters, while print can only take one parameter and always returns 1.
  1. Explain the difference between == and === in PHP.
  • Answer: == is a loose equality operator that compares values, but it does not check the data type. === is a strict equality operator that not only compares values but also ensures that the data types are the same.
  1. What is the difference between GET and POST in PHP?
  • Answer: GET and POST are two HTTP methods used to send data to a server. GET appends data to the URL, and the data is visible in the URL. POST sends data in the HTTP request body, making it more secure for sensitive information.
  1. Explain what a session is in PHP.
  • Answer: A session is a way to store and access data on the server, associated with a particular user. It allows you to maintain user-specific data across multiple pages or requests.
  1. What is the purpose of the include and require statements in PHP?
  • Answer: Both include and require are used to include files in PHP. The key difference is that if a file is not found using require, it will result in a fatal error and halt script execution, while include will only produce a warning and continue execution.
  1. Explain the purpose of the mysqli extension in PHP.
  • Answer: The mysqli extension in PHP provides functions to interact with MySQL databases. It enables secure database operations, including connecting to a database, executing queries, and fetching results.
  1. What is an autoloader in PHP, and why is it useful?
    • Answer: An autoloader is a PHP function used to automatically load classes when they are needed. It is particularly useful for managing class dependencies, ensuring that classes are loaded only when necessary, which can improve code organization and performance.
  2. What is a superglobal in PHP, and name some commonly used superglobal arrays.
    • Answer: Superglobals are built-in global arrays in PHP that are accessible from any part of a script. Commonly used superglobal arrays include $_GET, $_POST, $_SESSION, $_COOKIE, $_SERVER, $_ENV, and $_GLOBALS.
  3. Explain the purpose of the header() function in PHP.
    • Answer: The header() function is used to send HTTP headers to the client’s browser. It is commonly used to control redirection, set content types, and send additional information before any output is sent to the browser.

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