translated from cocina.phpkitchen.com

The PHP MapScript module is a PHP dynamically loadable module that makes MapServer’s MapScript functions and classes available in a PHP environment.

The PHP module was developed and is currently maintained by DM Solutions Group.  The PHP MapScript FAQ contains instructions on how to get started with the PHP module.

PEAR also offers a GIS module by the name of Image_GIS.  As explained the the classes description:

Generating maps on demand can be a hard job as most often you don’t have the maps you need in digital form.  But you can generate your own maps based on raw, digital data files which are available for free on the net.  This package provides a parser for the most common format for geographical data, the Arcinfo/E00 format as well as renderers to produce images using GD or Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).

Image_GIS is capable of parsing (vector) ArcView files, but not (bitmap) raster files and is somewhat smaller in scope than the Mapscript/PHP module.