PHP: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:40, 5 April 2026

PHP

PHP is the most popular scripting language on the Internet for a reason. It's easy to learn and easy to implement, yet is powerful enough to suit almost every task. Unlike some other languages, PHP is not explicitly linked with any programming paradigms, allowing for more flexible development. HelioHost offers the latest versions of PHP on all its hosting accounts. We are unique in that we offer PHP without safe mode, which is the more secure but less functional alternative that you'll find on most free hosts.

PHP Versions Supported

The PHP versions supported on each server are listed below. To see the PHP packages installed for each version, click on the 'phpinfo()' link. To check if a specific package is installed, press Ctrl + F and type in the package name to search the page.

Morty server

**Morty server**
PHP Version	Packages Installed
PHP 5.6	phpinfo()
PHP 7.0	phpinfo()
PHP 7.4	phpinfo()
PHP 8.0	phpinfo()
PHP 8.1	phpinfo()
PHP 8.2	phpinfo()
PHP 8.3	phpinfo()
PHP 8.4	phpinfo()
PHP 8.5	phpinfo()

Tommy server

**Tommy server**
PHP Version	Packages Installed
PHP 5.6	phpinfo()
PHP 7.0	phpinfo()
PHP 7.4	phpinfo()
PHP 8.0	phpinfo()
PHP 8.1	phpinfo()
PHP 8.2	phpinfo()
PHP 8.3	phpinfo()
PHP 8.4	phpinfo()

Johnny server

**Johnny server**
PHP Version	Packages Installed
PHP 5.6	phpinfo()
PHP 7.0	phpinfo()
PHP 7.4	phpinfo()
PHP 8.0	phpinfo()
PHP 8.1	phpinfo()
PHP 8.2	phpinfo()
PHP 8.3	phpinfo()
PHP 8.4	phpinfo()

Lily server

**Lily server**
PHP Version
PHP 5.3
PHP 5.4
PHP 5.5
PHP 5.6
PHP 7.0
PHP 7.1
PHP 7.2
PHP 7.3
PHP 7.4
PHP 8.2
PHP 8.4
PHP 8.5

PHP Packages Installed

Inside Plesk

Follow the navigation steps below to view which PHP packages are installed:

Login > Plesk > Websites & Domains > [domain] > Dashboard tab > Dev Tools > PHP button > click on the ' View the phpinfo() page' link

To check if a specific package is installed, press Ctrl + F and type in the package name to search the page. If there is a result, this means the module is already installed on the server and can be used right away, so you do not need to request it.

View phpinfo() page

If you don't have a HelioHost account to access information within Plesk, you can view the installed PHP packages for the available PHP versions on our servers by checking the relevant phpinfo() page links here.

Request Additional PHP Packages

Before requesting additional modules, make sure you check the list of packages already installed on your server.

When viewing the list of packages already installed, press Ctrl + F to search the page for a package name. If there is a result, this means the module is already installed on the server and can be used right away, so you do not need to request it.

Please do not request packages that are already installed.

After you have checked the list of packages already installed, if there is another module you'd like to request, please create a post in the Customer Service forum. Make sure you provide ALL the details below:

Confirm that you checked the list of packages already installed on your server for the version of PHP you're using.
Your account username.
Your server.
The version of PHP you're using.
The package(s) you need, including any specific version numbers.

Using proc_open(), exec(), popen(), etc.

These functions are disabled on our shared hosting servers (Morty, Tommy, and Johnny) for security reasons. If you need to run proc_open(), exec(), popen(), etc., you will need a VPS. We offer a range of VPS plans starting at only $4 a month, with storage options from 50 GB to 300 GB, and a 10% discount when you pay for six months upfront.

Learning PHP

'<?php' is the opening braces and '?>' is the closing braces for PHP.

Here is a sample hello world file.

<?php
  echo "Hello World!";
?>

A good tutorial can be found here: https://blog.udemy.com/php-tutorial.

Change PHP Version

Follow the navigation steps below to change your PHP version inside Plesk:

Login > Plesk > Websites & Domains > [domain] > Dashboard tab > Dev Tools > PHP button > select PHP version from the dropdown menu

After the PHP version is changed, you will see a confirmation message that contains the timeframe for the change to take effect:

PHP Version Changes Take Up To 2 Hours

PHP version changes take up to 2 hours to go into effect as they require an Apache restart.

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 '''Login > Plesk > Websites & Domains > [domain] > Dashboard tab > Dev Tools > PHP button > click on the ' View the phpinfo() page' link'''
-To check if a specific package is installed, press <code>Ctrl + F</code> and type in the package name to search the page.
+To check if a specific package is installed, press <code>Ctrl + F</code> and type in the package name to search the page. If there is a result, this means the module is already installed on the server and can be used right away, so you do not need to request it.
 [[File:View-phpinfo.png]]
@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 If you don't have a HelioHost account to access information within Plesk, you can view the installed PHP packages for the available PHP versions on our servers by checking [[#PHP_Versions_Supported|the relevant phpinfo() page links here]].
+== Request Additional PHP Packages ==
+{{Caution|
+Before requesting additional modules, make sure you check the [[:PHP#PHP_Packages_Installed|list of packages already installed]] on your server.
+When viewing the [[:PHP#PHP_Packages_Installed|list of packages already installed]], press '''Ctrl + F''' to search the page for a package name. If there is a result, this means the module is already installed on the server and can be used right away, so you do not need to request it.
+Please do not request packages that are already installed.}}
+'''After you have checked''' the [[:PHP#PHP_Packages_Installed|list of packages already installed]], if there is another module you'd like to request, please create a post in the [https://helionet.org/index/forum/45-customer-service/?do=add Customer Service forum]. Make sure you provide ALL the details below:
+# Confirm that you checked the [[:PHP#PHP_Packages_Installed|list of packages already installed]] on your server for the version of PHP you're using.
+# Your account username.
+# Your server.
+# The version of PHP you're using.
+# The package(s) you need, including any specific version numbers.
 == Using proc_open(), exec(), popen(), etc. ==