Document
What is a .php file?
A .php file is a PHP Script Page. This is a document format, so it holds text and layout meant to be read. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 2 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
2 different formats have claimed .php over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .php file
- Try LibreOffice (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) — it opens an enormous range of current and historic document formats.
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs handle most mainstream document types.
- If nothing opens it, open it in a text editor: many older document formats have readable text inside.
The registry records this extension against PHP Script Page, Broderbund The Print Shop/PrintMaster/American Greetings Project, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .php file
- Once it opens in LibreOffice or Word, Save As .docx or .pdf to get it into a format you can use anywhere.
MIME type
When a .php file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
text/htmlThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .php.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP Script Page | — | text/html | x-fmt/169 |
| Broderbund The Print Shop/PrintMaster/American Greetings Project | 10-23 | — | fmt/1300 |