Does GoDaddy Support PHP?

PHP processing must take place on a Web server.

Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a scripting language for composing dynamic tasks, pages and functions on the Internet. A PHP script is executed by the hosting server. As such, the server must possess the necessary environments and hardware for this task. The GoDaddy Web hosting service supports PHP hosting and execution.

GoDaddy PHP Support

GoDaddy supports PHP scripts according to the PHP version 5 protocol. An individual PHP script is a series of text-based commands referencing protocols and functions compliant with the server. The actual framework for executing the script is installed on GoDaddy's servers. The script is executed there, and may not have any visible results. Many PHP tasks involve the handling of data, and may result in invisible, behind-the-scenes changes. Other times, the result of a PHP script is a visible change to a Web page. This is all dependent on the creator's intent.

MySQL

MySQL is a useful counterpart to PHP. MySQL is a database system for storing and manipulating data. Many PHP commands directly involve the configuration and use of data stored in MySQL databases. GoDaddy hosting supports the MySQL databases. Each database can be up to 1 gigabyte (GB) in size. The number of databases available depends on your hosting plan. As of the date of publication, the "Economy" plan supports 10 databases, the "Deluxe" plan supports 25 databases and the "Unlimited" plan supports an unlimited number of databases.

PHP and HTML

PHP interacts with HyperText Markup Language (HTML) in a number of productive ways. It can function much like JavaScript in order to make elements of an HTML Web page more dynamic. This can result in visual changes to a Web page in real time or changes to a Web page based on user input. Many sites that host user accounts use PHP in this way. Often, data input by a user into a PHP-driven HTML page is then stored in a remote MySQL database on GoDaddy's servers.

Accessing PHP Scripts

PHP scripts are typically accessed, or called, by a Web browser. If you refresh or reload a page, the script is executed again on the GoDaddy servers. The individual script may also have built-in instructions to reload or refresh at certain time intervals or following certain functions. Scripts can also be accessed independent of a Web browser. Many websites, based on or inspired by a Linux function called "cron," execute a job at scheduled times. Services such as the Code Effects Web Scheduler or SetCronJob allow a certain number of free jobs, whereby you can load your PHP scripts at scheduled time intervals.

References

• GoDaddy; Windows Hosting PHP Support; August 2011
• GoDaddy; Connecting to MySQL Using PHP; August 2011
• GoDaddy; Do You Limit MySQL Database Size?; August 2011

Resources

• Web Scheduler
• Set Cron Job