The web development sector has witnessed plenty of changes over the years. From the early days of manual coding with HTML to using advanced frameworks and tools that make website creation a breeze, the change has been drastic. However, some tools and technologies used in the web development industry hold their ground, despite the arrival of new contenders. One such prominent instance is PHP. This Open Source, server-side scripting language created back in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf continues to command a major share of the market.
Analyzing the reasons behind the enduring popularity of PHP
It is not without reason PHP continues to be popular among web developers, for sure. It has been in the scene for so many years, and yet the demand has not declined much. Listed here are some key reasons behind the robust popularity of php app development.
- Consistent and gradual improvement to codebase- Over the decades, PHP has got an enhanced codebase. The developers using the language for years have also contributed majorly to improving its codebase. They have also been careful to take user feedback seriously, and so newer versions come with a better coding system.
- CMS and frameworks based on PHP- Those who find learning PHP coding cumbersome can opt for better solutions based on PHP. WordPress, deemed the most popular CMS, is actually based on PHP. Millions of web developers are using WP worldwide. Besides, there are quite a handful of PHP-centric frameworks. Symfony, Yii, and Laravel are three prominent PHP frameworks that are preferred by ace web developers. So, even if you are not too keen on using core PHP, it is possible to use a derivative and obtain the same benefits.
- Reduction of hurdles- The detractors of PHP have slammed the web development platform for certain reasons. They have complained it is slow and has some security loopholes. With time, these issues have largely been resolved. In fact, each version of PHP introduces some changes. PHP version 7.4 is way ahead of the earlier versions. Along with the core language, the ecosystem around it also keeps improving. This helps in creating apps and sites using PHP, and new developers face little hardship in learning its nuances. With version 8 of PHP slated for a late 2021 release, more enhancements are on the way.
- Ease of learning- Web developers specialize in one or more programming languages and tools, and this also depends on their background. PHP has always been a favorite with a majority of developers. This is owing to the fact that the language is easy to grasp. In fact, those with no prior knowledge of web development and programming can learn PHP without facing many hassles.
- Big Standard Library Collection- Web developers prefer using programming languages that come with a decent set of Standard Libraries. These Libraries are like a pre-developed set of instructions that facilitate communication between various applications and platforms. This, in turn, eases the execution of features. PHP has a number of embedded libraries. This enhances site loading speed, and user experience is enhanced.
- Excellent integration- Web developers prefer using platforms and tools that integrate well with other online services and applications without hassles. In this regard, PHP races ahead of many competitors. It works with the major web browsers smoothly. It also integrates with web servers and popular database applications like MySQL, Oracle, and Apache.
- Easy availability of developers- Since PHP has been on the web development scene for a long time, finding PHP developers and agencies is easy, anywhere. It is also easy to locate freelance PHP consultants and developers. That is a reason businesses often opt for PHP outsourcing companies. Finding developers proficient in newer web development technologies and tools may not be as easy!
- Support of a huge community- Web developers using any tool or application may face hurdles on their way, from time to time. This can happen with both newbie and veteran web development professionals. In such time, prompt support and guidance can save the day. PHP has the support of a huge online community. So, the developers can count on that support anytime. The numerous online forums, PHP supports groups can be accessed free of cost mostly.
- Lower development cost- This is definitely one of the big factors behind the enduring popularity of PHP. PHP is Open-Source, and so the cost of PHP development stays within limits. In fact, some of the PHP-based frameworks and tools can be used without incurring much cost. This makes it desirable for businesses (especially the SMBs and start-ups) seeking low cost site or app development.
- Faster development time- Owing to the easy availability of developers, flexibility of the language, and easy integration with web services and applications, developing applications with PHP is faster. When businesses need app or site creation within tight deadlines, PHP is often the first choice. It does not take much time to develop PHP web applications.
What is the future of PHP?
This is one question that is often asked by newbie developers and those who are not well-versed in PHP. The popularity of PHP application development is undeniable, but how long can it sustain and cope with rising competition in the sector?
To figure out the sustainability and growth prospects of PHP in the coming days, it would be good to analyze the usage trends. As per available data, PHP is still being used by 79.2% of websites. Among these sites, PHP version 7 is powering approx. 64.4% of the websites. It is true that in the last few years, PHP’s usage percentage has declined, but the decline rate is slow. WP, which is a very popular CMS and powers many famous websites, is based on PHP. Its usage rate is growing, and so PHP will continue to exist in some form or the other-say the industry experts.
Many popular online platforms are powered by PHP. MediaWiki- the software powering Wikipedia, is created using PHP. Two big CMS platforms- Drupal and Joomla are also PHP-derived. Some of the popular PHP-powered websites are Yahoo, Facebook, and Flickr. All these sites and platforms are visited by millions of people every day. They are not likely to go out of vogue anytime soon.
Summing it up
PHP has spent a long time in the web development arena –beyond any doubt. New contenders have entered the scene, and they have also garnered a big fan following. However, saying PHP is going to become obsolete is not fair if the usage statistics are taken into consideration.
Every web development platform has its share of benefits and limitations, and PHP is no exception. However, over the years, its drawbacks have been largely resolved. The newer versions of PHP offer better features and stable performance. The cost-effective nature and flexibility, online community support, and superb integration with other tools work in its favor. The PHP-based platforms, especially the CMS tools, have emerged as the top choices among web developers. So, it is fair to say with time, PHP will continue to evolve, making things better both for the developers and end-users.
PHP is an acronym for hypertext preprocessor.Is the programming language PHP?
When you write a website in your browser, you are considered a customer, or your browser is a customer.
Thus, the language that runs on the server side, that is, whatever the code, they run on the server side, we call it the programming language on the server side.Why do you want to learn PHP rather than other languages?PHP works on different platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, etc.
)PHP supports a wide range of databases.It's safe.PHP is free.PHP is easy to learn and works effectively on the server side.What is a PHP file?PHP files may contain text, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.PHP files have an extension .phpThe code runs on the server, and the result is returned to the browser in the form of regular HTML.What can PHP do?PHP can generate dynamic page content.It can create, open, read, write and close files on the server.PHP can collect data forms.It can add, delete, modify data in your database.PHP may restrict users' access to certain pages on your site.PHP can encrypt data.Learn about the databaseA database means collecting data that is available to all users, by users we mean app users, whether administrators or individual users.
The database is very important in the PHP programming language.For example, because you all should have heard the Facebook name, all Facebook users' data will be collected in one place where all user ID, password, and Facebook data is stored in one place.
As we've read above, PHP is a server technology by which we can develop websites rather than using them in Android or Window, it's just for website development.
PHP programming language is a server-side scripting language designed for web development and developing dynamic web pages.
While its vital purpose was server-side scripting, it has developed to incorporate a command line interface capability and can be utilized to create client-side Graphical User Interface (GUI) applications too.Applications of PHPWeb Pages and Web-Based Applications:Any web page or web application created in the current ecosystem is required to offer a high level of customization, to be equipped to provide high interactive user interfaces, make online transactions and integrate with database systems.Through its three-layered design which takes works on browser, server and database system in a linear manner, PHP offers a solid answer for accomplish these highlights.
Further, web-based enterprise applications and a multitude of Facebook applications are additionally scripted in PHP.Web Content Management Systems:PHP offer the different databases such as MySQL, Oracle, and can interface with lots of various services using protocols such as IMAP, LDAP, SNMP, HTTP, etc.Thus, PHP has been utilized for making popular web Content Management Systems (CMS), including WordPress and its plugins, Joomla, user-facing portion of Facebook, Moodle, Silverstripe, Drupal, MediaWiki, Digg and others.eCommerce Applications:From small to large companies, sales to online shoppers is now an indispensable requirement.Through utilization of frameworks like CodeIgniter and CakePHP, PHP permits making of eCommerce applications in a quick and simple manner.
Many of the highly used eCommerce platforms, for example, OpenCart, Magento, AgoraCart, PrestaShop, Zen Cart,and Ubercart, have all been made on PHP.GUI-Based Applications:While PHP is to a great extent utilized as a scripting programming language for web-based applications, it is additionally conceivable to utilize it for making desktop graphical user interface (GUI) based applications.
Tools like PHP-GTK 2, DevelStudio and ZZEE PHP GUI allow scripting in PHP, compile it into.Create Flash:An open source library, for example, Ming, makes .SWF format movies which incorporate a large portion of the features of Flash – gradients, bitmaps (pngs and jpeg), shapes, morphs, text, button, actions and animations.
Integration of different image processing libraries, for example GD Library, Imagine and ImageMagick in PHP applications, cropping, making thumbnails images, adding watermarks, shapes and allowing images in different configurations including JPEG, WMP, gif, xpm, png, etc.
Frameworks are a useful tool as they provide a structure and unified environment that will help you to build your projects faster and more efficiently.
Using frameworks is also a good-overall web development practice which enhances scalability and long-term maintenance so that you can dedicate more time to building high-quality code.
At iWebServices , we’ve made an inventory of the frameworks we use with the best results in terms of performance and effectiveness, recommending them for enterprise software development.
It has a user-friendly dashboard (Laravel Horizon), Laravel Dusk for browser automation, Laravel Echo for event broadcasting.
Zend Framework Development is Robust and stable and is highly recommended for enterprise-level projects.
It provides a 100% object-oriented code, high-performance MVC and easy-to-use database concept.
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