The server-side language PHP, which has been around for more than 25 years, nevertheless stirs up some strong feelings in the minds of developers. You’ll undoubtedly discover a conversation about where PHP is “dead” whenever a new programming language or technology is introduced.

According to the Stack Overflow annual developer survey, PHP has fallen from fifth place in 2017 to eighth place in 2020 in the list of the most popular programming languages. Nevertheless, PHP is still utilized by around 80% of websites, including several huge platforms like Facebook and WordPress.

A general-purpose programming language known as PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) can be used to create dynamic and interactive webpages. It was one of the first server-side languages that HTML could incorporate, making it simpler to add functionality without having to call outside files for information. Its use has changed over time as a result of frequent updates (version 8.0 was released in November 2020) that unlock new features.

Despite not being the most attractive language these days, PHP nevertheless plays a crucial role in web development for the reasons listed below.

It’s easy to learn and use: The ease of use of PHP is one of the key factors contributing to its widespread use. Most people could quickly and easily create a web page using a single PHP file, even without extensive knowledge or experience in web programming. The entrance hurdles to PHP are lower than with many other languages because of its straightforward syntax and quick learning curve for command functions.

It’s open source (and therefore free!): This makes it easier for developers to start using PHP because it can be swiftly and cost-freely installed. A large selection of PHP frameworks, including Laravel and Symfony, are also accessible freely. Companies find this feature intriguing since it lowers the cost of web development.

It’s versatile: The fact that PHP is platform independent and works with the majority of web browsers as well as Mac OS, Windows, and Linux is one of its main advantages. Additionally, it works with all the popular web servers, making it simple and inexpensive to deploy on various platforms and systems.

It enjoys strong community support: With its long history and widespread use, PHP today has a sizable and devoted community to back it up. To assist new PHP developers and to keep the language’s capabilities from plateauing, there are a ton of tutorials, FAQs, and tips available.

It’s fast and secure: Every company wants its website or application to be both quick and safe. When using the most recent versions, PHP uses its own memory and performs well in terms of speed. Although it is crucial to highlight that PHP is neither intrinsically more or less secure than other programming languages, there have previously been concerns regarding its security.

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One significant advantage is that there are now numerous tools, frameworks, and best practices available to assist repair vulnerabilities and defend against cyberattacks as a result of its extensive use and community support.

It is well connected with databases: With PHP, connecting securely to practically any type of database is simple. This provides programmers more leeway when deciding which database will work best for the application they are creating.

It is tried and tested: One significant advantage of being around for 25 years is that PHP code has been tested in a variety of real-world settings. The language is now more reliable and trusted by developers because the major issues have been identified and fixed. Additionally, other frameworks and tools have been developed over time, making PHP web development safer, faster, and more productive.

There’s a lot of legacy code: Although this isn’t actually a benefit of adopting PHP in and of itself, the fact that so many websites already exist were created with PHP makes it a crucial factor to take into account. Simply said, it is typically simpler to make improvements in the original language rather than attempting to rebuild everything. This makes PHP more resilient in the face of possible personal preferences for other languages among some younger engineers. Additionally, it is typically simpler to find a PHP developer for your company because of this legacy effect.

The Essential Features of PHP Web Development Platform You Must Know

A PHP platform is a popular choice among business experts for increasing their companies’ internet visibility. It is a server-side scripting language that has been primarily tailored for web development. The web development company chose the PHP platform for a variety of reasons. The following are PHP’s unique features:

1. Simplicity

Particularly renowned for its simplicity is PHP. It is structured and simple to learn. PHP is simple to learn and use, even for beginners. Because of its excellent organization and abundance of pre-defined functions, this programming language makes it simple for programmers to complete their work. Like C, PHP does not require libraries to be included. With so many built-in functions, PHP is very simple to optimize.

2. Flexibility

Any device, whether a PC, tablet, or smartphone, can run PHP programs. It works well with many different databases. It is simple to embed and integrate into XML, JavaScript, and HTML. Similar to how it works with practically all current servers like Apache, IIS, etc.

3. Objective oriented

Data encapsulation, inheritance, abstraction, polymorphism, and other concepts common in object-oriented programming are supported by PHP. PHP5 introduced the Object-oriented programming functionality. This feature enables the creation of sophisticated reusable web pages and elevates PHP to the level of Java and Python, two extremely potent object-oriented languages.

4. Interpreted language

Since PHP is an interpreted language, compilation is not required. An interpreter reads and executes a program line by line. The code becomes platform-independent since interpreters run source code directly. Dynamic typing and a small executable program size are two further advantages of interpreted languages.

5. Efficient

A flexible, dependable, and effective programming language is PHP. PHP has an extremely effective memory management system. Some of the aspects that make PHP efficient include excellent session management and the elimination of superfluous memory allocation.

6. Fast Performance

Typically, PHP scripts run more quickly than scripts written in other languages. Users enjoy having quicker-loading web pages. The fact that PHP code runs in its own memory region makes it execute faster than most other programming languages. Additionally, its connectivity to databases is quick and effective.

7. Free and open-source

PHP is free to download and use because it is open-source software. It is also kind to your wallet because using it involves absolutely no bother and doesn’t cost anything.

8. Case-sensitive

PHP is a partially case-sensitive language. Although functions names are not case-sensitive, other things in PHP are case-sensitive. The following things in PHP are case-sensitive:

• Variable names
• Constructs (if, if-else, if-elseif, while, do-while)
• Keywords (such as true and false)
• User-defined functions and class names

9. Security

Numerous built-in data encryption functions are available in PHP. Users can also employ software from third parties for security. Although security and flexibility are frequently incompatible qualities, PHP manages to provide both, which is fantastic. The purpose of PHP is to make creating CGI (Computer-generated Imagery) systems more safe. The texts in PHP are encrypted using security techniques like Sha1 (secure Hash algorithm 1) and MD5 (Message Digest 5). The filter_var and strip_tags functions contribute to a more secure and user-friendly environment.

10. Platform independent

Any computer or operating system, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, RISC OS, and Unix, may execute PHP. It’s simple to connect to different databases, and it works with practically all current web servers (including Apache, IIS, and others). Additionally, it supports a variety of databases. Due to the time and energy it saves, its cross-platform flexibility is what makes it so popular with its users.

11. Error reporting and handling

Numerous reporting constants and predefined functions in PHP produce errors while the program is running.Like Java and C#, PHP5 enables the usage of semantics like try, throw, and catch. In PHP5, the type and severity of an error are represented by 16 degrees of error. Additionally, PHP’s error_reporting() function makes error reporting incredibly simple.

12. Memory and CPU use information

Users can access the memory use data with PHP functions like memory_get_usage() and memory_get_peak_usage(). The memory_get_usage() function can be used to obtain the current memory usage, and the memory_get_peak_usage() function can be used to obtain the peak memory usage at a specific time. As a result, by using these functions, you can keep track of your memory usage and optimize your code by getting rid of the lines that use up the most memory.

13. Active community support

A large number of users and volunteers from all around the world have backed and supported PHP. These volunteers provide numerous PHP libraries’ features and updates. By translating for novice programmers in other languages, they also assist in bridging the linguistic gap. These volunteers have made a significant number of third-party open-source libraries with both simple and complicated functions readily available in the public domain.

What are Some of the Most Important Aspects of PHP Development That you Focus on?

Ten years ago, the process of creating PHP apps was completely different. In the beginning, developers were actually designers who had to handle many different duties in addition to backend development, including frontend programming, database engineering, user interface design, etc. Recently, there have been changes to this circumstance.

Today’s developers can use a variety of ready-made components in their work, and designers, database engineers, and many other professionals are also participating in the creation of websites. The fundamental pillars of PHP development appear to be the same, with minor adjustments brought on by shifting trends, whatever the circumstance for the way things are done may change to be.

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The following are regarded as the six most crucial elements in contemporary PHP web development.

1. Code

Every development process, including the creation of PHP apps, is based on code, which is considered to be the most crucial component. The importance of coding standards has persisted throughout history and is still present in the contemporary field of web development. Maintaining code standards will increase uniformity in your development project and, as a result, ensure that it is understandable so that other team members may quickly add to or modify it in accordance with requirements.

2. Testing

Testing is a crucial step in the development process since well tested software or applications have several benefits, including greater reusability of the test-assured code and, last but not least, good code free from future hassles.

3. Dependencies

Composer is a useful tool for managing dependencies. Due to the close relationship between code and a package or library, the dependency declaration should likewise be kept under version control. But since the declaration, which is already subject to version control, handles file revisions, this package’s or library’s files shouldn’t be under version control. Therefore, there is no need to perform both.

4. Configuration

For your PHP program to be migrated successfully, your application code must be configured correctly; otherwise, security risks may arise. So, separating settings from code is a smart idea.

5. Runtime Data

Usually, the runtime data is just concerned with files and not databases. In response to user engagement techniques like file uploads, this is generated in real time. A local or network attached file system typically handles this. Instead, cloud storage is advised to manage scalability challenges that arise while scaling an application across several servers or geographical locations or avoid more migration headaches.

6. Deployment

The optimal course of action for a web application project is typically simple, transparent, and quick deployment in order to avoid the more feared and disaster-prone elements. Choose a deployment method or technique that makes it simple to integrate built-in scripts. All in all, in addition to high-quality code and testing procedures, a straightforward deployment methodology is crucial.

The practice of developing PHP websites, or more precisely, web applications, has entirely changed nowadays. When all of the aforementioned elements, or, may we say, the fundamental pillars of foundation for the PHP development, are concentrated on, it becomes more exciting than ever and significantly simpler.

The language you decide to choose ultimately depends on the features you prioritize and the product you are trying to build. In the age of the World Wide Web, scripting languages are highly sought after to develop dynamic web pages. There are several great features included with PHP.

There are a great deal more noteworthy qualities that have not been mentioned. Its advantages over other scripting languages include being open-source, quick, and dependable server-side scripting languages. Its popularity is attested to by the fact that it is one of the most utilized programming languages, along with languages like Java, Python, and C+.