Facebook PHP API Applications: Basic Introduction

Facebook API applications can be categorized into three broad features that can be implemented using an API in the PHP programming language.

1. Integrating Facebook features, widgets and applications in your website (such as allowing your website users to log in using their Facebook account). In general, its like "adding Facebook to your website."
   
2. Developing Facebook apps (the ones you might encounter frequently when using Facebook).
   
3. Facebook mobile apps - this is for mobile-related applications of Facebook.

This is the start of a Facebook PHP API tutorial series. Let's tackle how to integrate Facebook into your website first, because it is a much simpler approach than the other two, so it provides an easy introduction to implementing the Facebook PHP API.

The Basic Requirements

As a PHP developer, you need to have at least the following to implement Facebook PHP API features.

1. A verified Facebook account.
   
2. Full FTP access to your website files and folders.
   
3. A website powered by a PHP/MySQL environment in Apache server. (IIS will do, but using an Apache server is recommended for full compatibility).
   
4. A CMS or blogging platform that supports full theme editing in PHP, such as WordPress or Joomla.

A verified Facebook account is required for your application to get an Application ID or Secret identification information.

To register, simply go to http://www.facebook.com/ and make sure your account is fully working. Registering to get an Application ID will be discussed later in this tutorial.