Discover if PHP code can be run within an HTML file using a script tag, and understand the significance of the .php file extension in server-side scripting. --- Can PHP Code Be Executed in an HTML File Using a Script Tag? When it comes to integrating PHP code within an HTML document, the question arises whether it is possible to utilize a <script> tag rather than using the .php file extension. To delve deeper into this, it's crucial to understand the basic functionalities of PHP and HTML. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and is a widely-used server-side scripting language designed for web development. It can be embedded into HTML, making it easy to manage dynamic content, session tracking, databases, and even building complete e-commerce websites. The Role of File Extensions Normally, when you want to execute PHP code, the file should have a .php extension. This is because the server is configured to recognize such files and pass them through the PHP engine for processing. For example: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Saving this block of code in a file with a .php extension ensures the server parses it and returns the output to the client as plain HTML. The Myth of Script Tags One common misconception is that you can execute PHP within an HTML file simply by using <script> tags. This is not accurate. The <script> tag is primarily used for client-side scripting languages such as JavaScript. PHP, being a server-side script, cannot be processed in this manner. For example, the following will not work: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] The reason is that the server will not interpret this as PHP code. Instead, it will deliver it to the client's browser as plain text within the script tag. The Proper Way to Embed PHP in HTML If you want to include PHP code in your HTML, you need to ensure your file has a .php extension. Here is an example of how you can embed PHP code in an HTML document: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] When this file is processed by the server, it runs the embedded PHP code and outputs the resultant HTML to the client. Server Configuration and .php Extension The server configuration plays a considerable role in determining how files are processed. Web servers like Apache and Nginx are often set up to recognize .php extensions. They route such requests to the PHP interpreter. Although you can configure servers to process PHP within different file extensions, this is not standard practice and might complicate deployment and maintenance. Conclusion To sum up, PHP code cannot be executed in an HTML file using a <script> tag. The correct practice is to save the file with a .php extension to ensure the server processes the PHP code properly. Stick to standard server configurations for better performance and ease of management.