How to Connect Frontend to Backend Using PHP (Example Guide)

Connecting the frontend and backend is a fundamental aspect of web development. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the step-by-step process of connecting the frontend and backend using PHP. 

PHP is a widely-used server-side scripting language known for its simplicity and flexibility. 

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to establish a seamless integration between the frontend and backend components of your web application.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Prerequisites:

To follow this guide, you will need basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP.

Additionally, ensure that you have a development environment set up with a web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) and PHP installed.

Step 1: Setting Up the Project Structure

Before we begin, let’s set up the project structure.

Open your favorite text editor and create the following files:

project/

├── index.html

├── backend.php

Step 2: Creating the Frontend (HTML)

In the index.html file, let’s start by creating the frontend component.

We will create a simple HTML form that allows users to submit data to the backend for processing.

Code Explanation ⤵️

In this code block, we create an HTML form with two input fields: one for the name and another for the email.

We set the form’s 'action' attribute to point to our backend PHP file, 'backend.php'.

When the user submits the form, the data will be sent to the backend for processing.

Step 3: Creating the Backend (PHP)

Now, let’s move on to the backend part, which will handle the data submitted from the frontend form. In the backend.php file, add the following PHP code:

Code Explanation ⤵️

In this code block, we start by checking if the request method is POST.

This ensures that the data is being submitted from the frontend form.

We then retrieve the submitted values using the '$_POST' superglobal and store them in variables: '$name' and '$email'.

Next, you can process the data or perform any necessary backend tasks. For simplicity, we have left this section commented out.

You can write your own code to process the data according to your application’s requirements.

Finally, we construct a response array with a “status” and “message” to indicate the success of receiving the data.

We set the 'Content-Type' header to 'application/json' to specify that we will be returning a JSON response. 

Using 'json_encode()', we convert the response array into JSON format and then use 'echo' to send the JSON response back to the frontend.

Step 4: Testing the Connection

To test the connection between the frontend and backend, open the index.html file in a web browser. Fill in the form fields with some data and click the “Submit” button. 

The form will send a POST request to the backend.php file, which will process the data and return a JSON response.

To see the response, you can use the browser’s developer tools. After submitting the form, open the developer tools and navigate to the “Network” tab.

Look for the request made to backend.php and inspect the “Response” section. 

You should see the JSON response containing the status and message returned from the backend.

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