The PHP programming language has clearly established itself as a reliable and robust solution by gaining a massive fan following in web development. It has been around for over two decades now and is expected to rule the industry in the coming decade as well. As we shift from static to dynamic trends, PHP web development has made it easier to develop robust and responsive websites.
Every day we see high profile organizations choosing PHP over everything for their websites and applications. Companies hire PHP developers to facilitate growth and customization to their web presence. If PHP is a forever trend, let us embark on some of the most significant whereabouts, advantages and disadvantages of this technology. Hence, In this article, we will talk about:
- What is PHP?
- Uses of PHP.
- Advantages of PHP.
- Future of PHP.
What is PHP?
PHP refers to Hypertext Preprocessor that runs as a server-side scripting language, meaning that the applications written on this technology run on web servers and do not rely on the web browsers. However, If we look at the growth chart of PHP in the past decade, its area of utilization has shifted. Nowadays, the PHP coding language ranks first among the most advanced and popular programming tools in the web development world.
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It is known as an effective technology that provides a convenient development process along with many additional tools.
Why do we use PHP?
PHP has truly excelled in the field of web development. Although, the initial use of PHP was to build dynamic pages as well as a scripting language to make the server-side of the web applications. Eventually, the language broadened its application, and as a general-purpose language, it served best in the platforms required.
We primarily use PHP due to the versatility of this scripting language that results in its combination with other programming languages as well. For Instance, your developers can easily add extensions to PHP using the C language to add even more functionalities to your application. In addition to this, PHP also has the availability of a large number of libraries and frameworks. The most common examples of such frameworks are Symfony, Phalcon, Zend Framework, Laravel and Yii.
Two of the most popular software written on PHP are WordPress and Facebook.
Advantages of PHP in Web Development
The popularity of PHP is the result of its endless advantages, all of which make it an effective and powerful development tool. Below are some of the significant benefits of PHP :
Improved loading speed
Website pages written on PHP load faster as compared to many other web development technologies. It is said that PHP is approximately three times faster than Python for most practical scenarios. In return, this lower loading time helps further promote a website by giving a competitive advantage. A fast loading application keeps the customers satisfied and helps retain the client base.
A wide selection of the database
PHP can connect to almost any type of database. The most popular choice is MySQL, majorly because it is free and effective among developers. Other compatible systems with PHP are My-SQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc. Moreover, PHP verses well with Redis, MongoDB, ElasticSearch and other non-relational databases. This way, developers do not confine themselves to a particular database.
Read More: Most Popular PHP Frameworks
Inexpensive open source software
PHP is a free-to-use technology that leaves considerable savings for the development budget. With this, the majority of tools that are used in combination with PHP are free of charge and can reduce your development cost.
Inexpensive hosting services
The most popular operation scenario for PHP is the LAMP stack. It states that a website runs on an Apache HTTP web server deployed on a Linux system and uses MySQL as a database. All these components are free of cost, along with a well-tested stack.
Good flexibility
PHP is super flexible, which means that it can effectively combine with other programming languages to use the most effective technology for the software product. On top of that, it is a cross-platform language that enables developers to use any primary language for coding.
Read More: Best PHP Development Tools in 2021
Cloud Services Compatibility
Every modern product now integrates with cloud computing solutions like Amazon Web Services. Similarly, applications written in PHP are supported by various cloud services like AWS Lambda. This, in turn, provides excellent scalability and other beneficial effects.
Distant Future Of PHP
PHP still marks the top of the development world. There are a considerable share of websites running on this language which is why the near and distant future of PHP web development seems to continuously evolve and shine bright.
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PHP can be used to build any kind of website, starting with the landing pages to complex WordPress websites and web platforms like Facebook. To conclude, our article nativity, multiple integration opportunities, flexibility and high speed are the primary reasons why we should go with PHP. Finally, If you decide to use PHP for your custom build business application, we suggest you seek support from an established PHP web development company to guide you through the entire development process. Now get along and create a fantastic application for your audience.
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