What is the use of .htaccess file and how to make it?

[phpassignmenthelp]

Hi All !! What is the use of .htaccess file and how to make it? please suggest me the steps for making .htaccess file.

 

[MxyzptlkFishStix]

Tip: If you're running your own VPS, put the stuff contained in your .htaccess directly in Apache's config and disable AllowOverrides. Scanning for .htaccess is a big performance hit when your start ramping up the traffic.