Chapter 7 - PHP / Dynamic Webpages / Form Data Handling

Welcome to Chapter 7 of Web Programming! In this lesson, we take the next big step from static web pages to dynamic websites by introducing PHP. You'll learn how server-side scripting allows web pages to react to user input, process forms, validate data, save information, and even send emails. Topics covered in this chapter include: • Understanding the difference between static and dynamic web pages • How PHP runs on the server before HTML is sent to the browser • Embedding PHP into HTML pages • Using echo and variables • Making decisions with if and else statements • Creating a dynamic Light Mode and Dark Mode page • Understanding GET versus POST • Processing HTML forms with PHP • Building a simple feedback form • Performing server-side validation • Saving submitted form data to a text file • Sending email with PHP's built-in mail function • Connecting your existing HTML forms to real PHP processing • Preparing for database-driven websites in future chapters By the end of this lesson, you'll understand how PHP transforms ordinary HTML pages into interactive applications that respond to users and process real data.