PHP, which stands for “Hypertext Preprocessor,” is a widely-used open-source server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. Here are some key features of PHP:

1. Open Source: PHP is free to use and is maintained by a large community of developers. This contributes to a wealth of available resources, libraries, and frameworks.
2. Server-Side Scripting: PHP is executed on the server, generating HTML which is then sent to the client. This ensures that the code is not visible to the users.
3. Cross-Platform: PHP runs on various platforms, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac OS. It is compatible with most servers used today (e.g., Apache, IIS).
4. Embedded Within HTML: PHP can be embedded directly into HTML, making it easy to add dynamic functionality to web pages without extensive coding.
5. Database Support: PHP has built-in support for a wide variety of databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and others, facilitating easy data storage and retrieval.
6. Ease of Learning: PHP has a simple and straightforward syntax, which makes it easy for beginners to learn and start developing web applications quickly.
7. Extensive Library Support: PHP has a rich set of built-in libraries and functions, reducing the need to write code from scratch for common tasks like handling strings, arrays, and files.
8. Flexibility and Scalability: PHP can be used for small scripts to large applications, supporting both procedural and object-oriented programming paradigms.
9. Error Reporting: PHP has a robust error reporting mechanism, which can be configured to display errors or log them, helping developers debug their code effectively.
10. Security Features: PHP includes features for securing web applications, such as data encryption, prevention of SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
11. Community Support: PHP has a large and active community, offering extensive documentation, forums, and tutorials, which can be very helpful for both beginners and experienced developers.
12. Frameworks and CMS: PHP has several popular frameworks (like Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter) and content management systems (like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla) that simplify and speed up development.
13. Performance: PHP 7 and later versions have significant performance improvements, making PHP applications faster and more efficient in terms of resource usage.
14. Integration with Other Technologies: PHP can be easily integrated with various other technologies, such as JavaScript, XML, JSON, and RESTful APIs, allowing for the creation of dynamic and interactive web applications.
15. Session Management: PHP provides built-in session management, which is essential for maintaining state across multiple web pages and user interactions.

These features make PHP a powerful and flexible tool for web development, suitable for both simple and complex web applications.