Hi everyone,
I would like to propose a small but important improvement regarding how PHP is described on the official php.net website and documentation.
Currently, many sections of the website simply use the term "PHP" without clearly distinguishing between "PHP as a programming language (the specification/syntax)" and "PHP as a software application (the official runtime environment/interpreter)".
This ambiguity causes significant confusion, particularly when users read about licensing. For example, statements implying that "PHP is available under the PHP License v4 / Modified BSD" can lead users—and corporate legal departments—to mistakenly believe that the license imposes restrictions or source-code disclosure requirements on the code they write in the PHP language itself.
To prevent this confusion, I propose that we update the official website and documentation to be more precise:
- Use "PHP language" when referring to the syntax and coding rules.
- Use "PHP software" or "PHP engine" when referring to the official runtime and its distribution license.
A clearer distinction would greatly help newcomers, developers, and legal teams understand that the permissive license applies strictly to the runtime engine and does not restrict their proprietary user code.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Best regards,
The_PHP_Distinction