Wondering what the index.php file is for? The index.php is a PHP file that is the entry point of any website and application. It is a file used for templates that contain a mixture of codes that will be delivered as a PHP code. It will also be modified before delivery as the system will be used by anyone with a simple HTML website.
Purpose of the Index.php File
The index.php file should be minimal as possible as it will be re-sent every single time you load a new page. The elements must be delivered in CSS files saved in the user’s cache.
The PHP engine allows you to create dynamic pages as PHP also reads HTML. This allows you to save an HTML file with the PHP extension and upload the file to the new server.
Once the service is up, you can upload the file to your server and indicate the new default web page as the new PHP file. The default web page will open when you navigate through a new domain without the specified web page.
When to Use Index.PHP
First, you must decide on the PHP extension when you plan to use a PHP code in the file. The code is anywhere between <?PHP or ? with the closing of ?> tag.
When a PHP code is not needed, you can opt for the .html extension. This is usually used when the .php extension has used that server that it must interpret the process of filing before the action is sent to the browser destination. It is the interpreter that will replace all the provided content within the <?php and ?> by the PHP code’s correct output.
However, when you use the PHP extension as a signal to the server, the PHP code process is configurable. There are also file extensions that you can also consider. If you type only the URL path without the given filename, it should look like this: http : // www.server.com/
The extensions order of which the web server searches for in an index may contain certain index documents.
For example, the Apache configuration may content single sections like:
This means that index document will be searched. If you incorporate the index.php and index.html within the same gold and the configurations, the index.html will always be sent through the same server.
You have the option to use index.php or the index.html. The only thing you must take care of is the PHP as well as any other language for side scripting of the server and make your website dynamic. For a login page, you can also use it as an index.html
As a beginner, it is important to keep in mind that it does not hurt your website if you plan to serve each page as a .php. Not only will using one contain solely static HTML, but Apache is quick to help any .php. You will find that php benefits your site that will allow you to create simple templates. For instance, section header and footers can be written in a single file and followed by the rest of the web pages.
The Apache server does requires a file with the .php extension. However, you may also configure the server by adding one line to the configuration file. Using a file with any PHP code extension will allow you to edit the apache and support the php also with an HTML extension.
The front controller (index.php) will ensure that everything is common within the entire site and handled correctly, regardless of which page you choose. If there are other 50 different PHP files, the site will become difficult to manage. With just a single file, you can edit it in a single place. However, with more than 50 entry points, you will need to change every single one of them to update the code.
Simply speaking, you can access the index.html file easily and get the data given. However, with the index.php, it can be difficult to access when you are unsure of what you’re looking for. For a simple index application, go for index.html. But if you want a large and protected application, choose index.php.