What is the difference between a URL and a file path in the context of web development with PHP?

In web development with PHP, a URL is a web address that specifies the location of a resource on the internet, such as a webpage or image. A file path, on the other hand, is the location of a file on the server's filesystem. When working with PHP, it's important to understand the difference between the two, as they are used in different contexts. To use a file path in PHP, you can use the `__FILE__` magic constant to get the current file's path. This can be useful when including files or working with file operations. On the other hand, to work with URLs in PHP, you can use functions like `parse_url()` to extract different components of a URL, such as the host or path.

// Get the file path of the current file
$currentFilePath = __FILE__;
echo $currentFilePath;

// Parse a URL and extract its components
$url = "https://www.example.com/path/to/page";
$urlComponents = parse_url($url);
echo $urlComponents['host']; // Output: www.example.com
echo $urlComponents['path']; // Output: /path/to/page