 XAMPP Full Form & Services on Control Panel

 Full Form: Cross-platform (X), Apache (A), MariaDB (M), PHP (P), Perl (P).
 Services: Apache, MySQL (MariaDB), FileZilla, Mercury, and Tomcat.

 REST & Request Methods of REST

 REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing

networked applications.
 Request Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, OPTIONS, HEAD.

 PHP Version

 PHP versions update frequently. XAMPP typically includes a recent stable PHP
version (check XAMPP’s documentation for the specific version bundled with it).

 MySQL Version

 MySQL version in XAMPP also varies, commonly MySQL 5.6 or MariaDB as a

replacement.

 XAMPP Version

 The XAMPP version also varies. Check "Help" in XAMPP Control Panel or
XAMPP’s website.

 PHP Functions to Use MySQL

 Common functions include mysqli_connect(), mysqli_query(), and

mysqli_close(); or the PDO functions like new PDO().

 Global, Static, Local Variables

 Global: Accessible throughout the script, defined outside functions.

 Static: Maintains value even after the function exits.
 Local: Defined within a function, accessible only there.

 $ and & Difference

 $ is for declaring variables, & is used to pass by reference (shares the memory address
of a variable).

 GET vs POST in PHP

 GET: Sends data via URL, limited size, less secure.

 POST: Sends data in the HTTP request body, larger, more secure for sensitive data.

 Types of Variables in PHP

  PHP supports integers, floats, strings, booleans, arrays, objects, NULL, and resources.

 Types of Variables in PHP

 See answer 10 (variables types are repeated here).

 Number of Ports in a Computer

 There are 65,535 TCP and 65,535 UDP ports available.

 Sessions vs. Cookies

 Sessions: Server-side, more secure, no storage limit.

 Cookies: Client-side, can be modified by users, limited to ~4KB.

 PUT Request Method

 Used to update an existing resource. Unlike POST, it is idempotent (repeated requests

yield the same result).

 Types of Arrays in PHP

 Indexed, Associative, and Multidimensional arrays.

 MySQL vs. MySQLi

 MySQL: Older extension, no support for prepared statements.

 MySQLi: Improved, supports prepared statements, procedural, and object-oriented.

 Cookie Without Expiry

 If no expiration date is set, the cookie is considered a session cookie and will end
when the browser is closed.

 REST API: What, Why, How

 What: A method to create scalable APIs.

 Why: Stateless, efficient, supports different formats.
 How: Uses HTTP methods, JSON/XML data format.

 Session vs. Cookie

 Session: Stored server-side, identified by session ID.

 Cookie: Stored client-side, data persists based on expiration.

 cURL in PHP

 A tool to make HTTP requests in PHP, allowing interaction with other servers or
APIs.
 Three PDO Functions

 prepare(), execute(), fetch().

 Execute Query vs. Execute Non-Query

 Execute Query: For statements that return data (SELECT).

 Execute Non-Query: For statements that don’t return data (INSERT, UPDATE,
DELETE).

 Three Mail Protocols

 SMTP (Sending), POP3 (Receiving), IMAP (Receiving).

 Difference Between Echo and Print

 Echo: Faster, can take multiple parameters.

 Print: Slower, returns 1, can only take one argument.

 Prepared Statement

 Used to safely execute SQL statements, prevents SQL injection.

 PDO (PHP Data Objects)

 A database access layer for multiple DBs, secure (supports prepared statements), and
flexible.

 Creating an API

 Define routes, set up endpoints, use HTTP methods, and ensure JSON or XML data
format.

 Types of Email Protocols

 SMTP: Sending emails.

 POP3: Downloading emails, removes from the server.
 IMAP: Syncs emails across devices.

 XAMPP: Emphasize that XAMPP is a development environment and not intended for
production use due to default open ports and settings that are less secure.

 REST: Mention that REST APIs are stateless, meaning each request is processed
independently, which enhances scalability.

 PHP Version: Add that PHP updates can improve security and performance and may
introduce or deprecate functions.
 MySQL/MariaDB Version: Highlight that newer versions offer performance
improvements, security updates, and additional features.

 XAMPP Version: Knowing the XAMPP version can help troubleshoot compatibility
issues with specific PHP, MySQL, or Apache versions.

 PHP MySQL Functions: If using mysqli_* functions, recommend checking

mysqli_error() for debugging SQL errors.

 Global, Static, Local Variables: Mention that overuse of global variables can make code
harder to debug, while static variables are useful in recursive functions.

 $ vs. & Difference: Explain that & allows for changes in one variable to reflect in another,
which is useful in functions where you want a parameter’s value to persist outside the
function.

 GET vs POST: Emphasize that GET requests are useful for fetching data, while POST is
ideal for sending data, especially when security is a concern.

 Variable Types: For objects, highlight that they allow object-oriented programming,
making PHP code modular and easier to maintain.

 Computer Ports: In addition to 65,535 TCP/UDP ports, mention physical ports like USB,
HDMI, and Ethernet that facilitate connectivity with peripherals.

 Sessions vs Cookies: Sessions are stored server-side and often have a shorter lifespan,
making them more secure and less exposed to manipulation.

 PUT Request: Mention that PUT is often used to replace entire resources, while PATCH
(a related HTTP method) updates only specific fields.

 PHP Arrays: Note that PHP arrays are flexible and can hold different data types, even
within the same array.

 MySQL vs MySQLi: MySQLi’s object-oriented interface and prepared statements make it

a more secure and flexible choice for database interactions.

 Session Cookie: Explain that session cookies can enhance user experience, preserving
login status or user preferences for a single browsing session.

 REST API: REST’s stateless nature and caching support make it well-suited for web
services, particularly those with high traffic.

 Session vs. Cookie Storage: Sessions are stored on the server and identified by a session
ID, which the browser keeps in a cookie. Cookies are stored directly in the browser.

 cURL in PHP: Explain that cURL can handle various protocols (FTP, HTTP, HTTPS),
making it useful for API requests and data integration.
 PDO Functions: In addition to prepare(), execute(), and fetch(), mention
beginTransaction() and commit() for managing transactions.

 Execute Query vs Execute Non-Query: Mention that non-query executions (like updates
or inserts) don’t require fetching, which saves resources.

 Mail Protocols: IMAP syncs messages across devices, while POP3 is best for devices that
check mail infrequently.

 Echo vs Print: In larger scripts, echo is preferable for performance, especially when
outputting large amounts of data.

 Prepared Statements: These are particularly important for preventing SQL injection by
binding user input as parameters rather than directly into the query.

 PDO vs MySQLi: PDO is database-agnostic, allowing code portability across databases

like PostgreSQL or SQLite, unlike MySQLi, which is MySQL-specific.

 Creating an API: After defining routes and endpoints, mention that validating and
sanitizing inputs is crucial for security.

 Email Protocols: SMTP is specifically for sending, and clients often use IMAP or POP3
for receiving, based on how they want to manage email storage.