What Is PHP? Unlocking New Possibilities in Web Development

One of the most critical considerations companies must make when starting an online business is what tech to use. 

In the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for trustworthy and robust IT solutions. Businesses are looking for ways to adapt to the increased popularity of tech among their audience to further their business goals.

There are many options to select as IT solutions for your company. Among these several possibilities, PHP is one of the most extensively used programming languages by organizations. With the wide availability of PHP developers, businesses can use PHP programming to create their own applications.

PHP continues to gain popularity year after year, even with newer choices such as JavaScript or Python.

A feature that distinguishes PHP is that the code execution occurs on the server instead of the client-side or the side of the internet that a user can view. PHP code creates HTML, which is subsequently sent to the client. This makes PHP very safe and guarantees that users cannot see what is happening behind the screen.

In addition to being embedded into HTML, coders can also combine it with web template systems, web content management systems, and web frameworks.

Why use PHP?

PHP encourages developers to embrace rapid application development (RAD), which helps them save time, avoid code repetition, and create stable products as swiftly as possible. Without PHP, there would be a lot of code repetition, and developers would have to set up every database connection from the start. 

PHP frameworks include pre-built modules for accomplishing time-consuming coding activities. This implies that the developer will devote more time and effort to creating actual applications rather than developing the groundwork for each project.

PHP syntax

All PHP syntax starts with <?php and ends with ?>.Each line is closed out using a semicolon (;). Many components go into PHP syntax used to code a website's server-side.

Variables

Variable names are case-sensitive and start with the dollar sign ($) followed by the variable's name. There are six main types of variables:

1. The string is a sequence of characters, such as "Hello, world!". A string can be any text enclosed in quotation marks. You can use single or double quotation marks.
2. Integers are whole numbers without a decimal point between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147,483,647.
3. A float (floating-point number) is a decimal or exponential number.
4. Boolean statements represent two possible states: TRUE or FALSE.
5. An array stores multiple values in one single variable.
6. Null is a peculiar data type with just one possible value: NULL. A variable of data type NULL has no assigned value.

Using quotes around the name when assigning a text value to a variable. Since variables are case-sensitive, $name and $Name are two different variables.

Constants

In PHP, constants are case-sensitive and always begin with an uppercase or underscore, not a letter. Constants are written using the define( ) function. 

Constants are different from variables because constants are not defined by a simple assignment. They are written and accessed anywhere using define( ). Once they are specified, they cannot be changed or undefined. 

Top PHP frameworks

Depending on the type of project, PHP offers a variety of frameworks from which a developer can choose. Frameworks simplify developers' work by executing tasks quickly and keeping their code modularized.

• Laravel is an open-source framework for developing web applications that adhere to the model-view-controller (MVC) software pattern. Laravel has significant features such as a modular packaging system with a dependency manager and various ways to access relational databases. It's also relatively simple to use and, together with Symphony and Zend, is regarded as one of the most popular frameworks.
• CodeIgniter is a lightweight PHP framework that guarantees faster loading speeds and leaves a small footprint on your web server and applications. CodeIgniter is adaptable, supporting both MVC and non-MVC design patterns. With its MVC framework, larger development teams can speed up the coding process, while smaller groups or individual developers can code without it.
• Symfony is more than just a framework; it includes reusable PHP components and modules. Symfony is quite similar to Laravel; however, it's more challenging to get started with. Symfony features like database support, a modular component structure, and a debugging toolbar attract PHP developers to use the framework to create web apps, application programming interfaces (APIs), and microservices.
• Zend framework promotes the creation of web 2.0-style apps. Many people mistake it for PHP because of its immense popularity and widespread support. Its powerful features are designed for business development, and the framework also necessitates extensive PHP expertise.

How does PHP work?

PHP is an interpreted language. This implies that PHP must understand and compile your application's code for each request. Since PHP is a server-side language, the complete processing occurs on the server. A PHP interpreter is also installed on the server to check for PHP files. The only prerequisites are a web browser and an internet connection on the user end.

Developers can use PHP IDEs to write, compile, execute, and debug PHP code.

Here's the step-by-step process:

• Step 1: The client opens the browser and requests the webpage.
  
• Step 2: The server (where the PHP software is installed) then looks for the .php file corresponding to the request.
• Step 3: Once located, the file is sent to the PHP interpreter, which searches the database for the desired data.
• Step 4: The interpreter then returns the desired data output as an HTML website.
• Step 5: The web server receives the HTML file.
• Step 6: The web server sends the webpage to the browser.

PHP vs. HTML

When first starting out in website development, developers can quickly become overwhelmed by the various languages and development methods they come across. For example, PHP and HTML appear everywhere, and those who work with one frequently work with the other.

Understanding what they are and what they do to keep the current web-based world running smoothly will allow you to create the best apps for your business.

Advantages of PHP

PHP's success is a logical outcome of its multiple benefits, which combine to make it a productive and robust programming language. The following is a list of reasons PHP is an excellent choice for your web project.

• Enhanced loading speed: Compared to other web technologies, the adoption of PHP speeds up the loading of website pages. Lower loading time, in turn, is a significant SEO ranking element that helps further market a website by providing competitive benefits. A faster app speed keeps consumers delighted and aids in the growth and retention of the client base.
• Open-source software: PHP is a free technology that can save a lot of money on development costs. Furthermore, most development tools commonly used in conjunction with PHP are open-source software and can be used for free, further lowering project costs. 
• Platform agnostic: PHP is compatible with all operating systems and doesn't require extra software to generate web apps in the browser. PHP is preferable as the backend technology for many online online projects.
• Better security: PHP has features and tools to safeguard web apps against security risks such as SQL injection, data manipulation, and forgery.

Disadvantages of PHP

Though PHP is unquestionably valuable in web development, its numerous drawbacks prevent it from leading that field. Let us examine these flaws objectively and see how they might harm future software and business implementation.

• Waning popularity: While PHP is a robust tool with a vast community and a plethora of reference documentation, there are simpler programming languages for web-based applications. As a result, new developers prefer to learn Python as their first language and seldom contemplate adding PHP to their repertoire.
• Vulnerabilities in security: Concerns about the safety of PHP-based products have persisted for various reasons. One of them is PHP's open-source nature, which means potential code vulnerabilities become public information once discovered. Thus, at least in principle, any hacker can exploit those vulnerabilities. 

Take the next leap!

If you're debating which programming language to use for your business, PHP is the way to go. It's free and includes a variety of free frameworks and libraries. It's quite common, so developers have easy access to it. It's also simple to integrate because many providers offer software development kits (SDKs) that handle the heavy work.

Learn how integrated development environments (IDEs) can help you speed up the application development process.

This article was originally published in 2022. It has been updated with new information. robust