what is curl in php

cURL is a PHP library and command-line tool that allows you to send and receive files over HTTP and FTP. It is a PHP module that allows PHP programs to use curl functions. When PHPs cURL support is turned on, the phpinfo() functions output will include cURL information. cURL makes it simple to connect between various websites and domains, obtain a copy of a websites material, submit forms automatically, and use authentication and cookies. Some of the functions of cURL in PHP include curl_close, curl_error, curl_exec, curl_file_create, curl_getinfo, curl_init, curl_multi_close, and curl_pause. To use cURL in PHP, you need to initialize a cURL session, set the options for the transfer, and execute the session. The basic idea behind the cURL functions is that you initialize a cURL session using the curl_init(), then you can set all your options for the transfer via curl_setopt(), and then you can execute the session with curl_exec() .