PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a server-side scripting language that has undergone a significant evolution since its inception in 1994. Originally known as Personal Home Page, PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf as a simple tool for tracking visitors to his online resume. However, with the release of PHP 2 in 1995, the language began to gain popularity as a general-purpose web programming language.

In the early 2000s, PHP 4 was released, introducing major improvements such as a new engine designed for speed and better support for object-oriented programming. This version also saw the introduction of the Zend Engine, which is still used in PHP today. The following years saw the rise of dynamic websites and the emergence of popular content management systems like WordPress and Drupal, which heavily relied on PHP.

In 2004, PHP 5 was released and marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the language. It introduced features such as improved error handling, support for MySQL databases, and the addition of the famous “Zend Framework”. This version also saw the introduction of the “public” and “private” keywords, making PHP more object-oriented and robust.

The release of PHP 7 in 2015 brought even more improvements, including faster performance and more secure coding practices. This version also marked the first major update since PHP 5, with the removal of deprecated features and the introduction of new features like anonymous classes and return type declarations.

Today, PHP is used by millions of websites and has become one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Its evolution from a simple tool for tracking visitors to a powerful and versatile programming language has made it a favorite among developers. With continuous updates and improvements, it is expected that PHP will continue to evolve and remain a dominant force in the world of web development.