The Role of PHP in Modern Web Development: An Analysis

To date PHP remains at the top of the talk while discussing programming languages. Many popular websites such as Wikipedia and Facebook employ this language to build their applications. This server side programming language has been into the market for the last 25 years. Whenever a new programming language comes up you will find a comparison between it and PHP.

It is a polarising language that has much to offer in the entire development cycle. Today there are many business owners that look to hire PHP developers for their website development solutions. Even though it’s the 21st century, PHP can be a great solution for modern day web development. Are you aware of the role of PHP development services in the modern world? Let’s talk about the role of PHP in modern web development.

An Introduction to PHP

In the era where there exists large technology stacks, PHP still remains a widely used language. PHP is now used on the web everywhere. The abbreviation of PHP is Hypertext Processor. It was the brainchild of a Danish-Canadian programmer. HTML can be quite long for the commanding process. 

Accessing the basic knowledge of HTML can help you work with PHP easily. PHP will help you collect, utilise and integrate data with all pages. A PHP developer works with PHP language to develop applications. These developers have knowledge in technologies like Linux and MySQL. PHP languages are mostly employed for business logic; hence these developers are also aware about JavaScript. A PHP developer is responsible for carrying out following tasks: 

• Develop new web applications and deploy them
• Function with languages like CSS, JS and HTML
• Test the developed website on various platforms
• Keep an eye on different architectural considerations
• Get in touch with other team members to resolve issues and find out best solutions’
• MAking strategies to keep website up to date with current time
• Give recommendations for room for improvement
• Reassure the existing code base for infrastructure improvement
• Be in terms with latest updates of programming languages 

What are the benefits of using PHP for web development? 

There are plenty of advantages that account for the popularity of PHP development services among modern day developers. Below are some reasons that favour using PHP for web development: 

1. Availability of PHP developers: 

Increasing popularity of the PHP scripting language has given rise to innumerable PHP developers. There are many candidates looking out for projects; hence you can hire PHP developers easily. More developers leads to greater competition and reduced wages. Hence you can hire a developer easily at a lower amount possible. As this language is easy to learn and implement, you can even expect a junior developer to provide great results. 

2. Great documentation: 

Plenty of tutorials and manuals are available for helping you out. Having such aid can provide ease during the development process and might be a source of inspiration. It can also be a great aid for new learners that need to rise to difficult levels. It is easy to learn the PHP language but not as easy as python. 

3. Better loading speed: 

When you use PHP development services for your website it enhances loading speed. When equated to other technologies this can help web loading faster. By now PHP works three times faster than Python. It is very important to have lower loading for SEO optimization. And better SEO ranking can be helpful for the competitive end. Having better loading speed can help satisfy customers, enhance communication and retain client databases.

4. Great selection databases: 

By using PHP you can build a connection to almost any type of database.Developers most commonly choose MySQL as it is free of cost, famous and easy to use. The list of other compatible database with PHP language are: 

• mSQL: 
• SQL
• SQLite
• PostgreSQL
• Elasticsearch Redis
• MongoDB

Hence a developer will have a choice to pick any database they are comfortable working with. They can integrate with the best one for the future application after considering all factors. 

5. It’s an inexpensive option: 

If you want to consider a money saving and budget friendly option then going for the PHP language is a smart choice. Majority of tools that are employed in combination with PHP are open source and can be free of cost. Hence you can cut down on project costs by adopting these languages. The development process might be easier and effective with the help of different frameworks and CMS. 

6. Cheap hosting services: 

The most favorable way for PHP is the LAMP stack. This indicates that the website will run on HTTP Apache and deployed on a Linux system and employs SQL database. All of these are free sources and the stack is also put under test. Hence this leads to expenditure of less funds and time.

Which companies are using PHP? 

As mentioned in the text there are many PHP web development services that have developed web applications. According to the reports from 2017, about 79% websites use PHP for web application development. Here are some examples of companies that made their website using PHP: 

• Facebook: Majority part of this social media network is developed with PHP with usage of XHP extension and HipHop frameworks.
• Yahoo: From 2002 Yahoo has been using PHP to manage and create content.
• Tumblr: The microblogging service of Tumblr utilizes PHP language.
• TED: It was written using PHP in the year 2006.
• Wikipedia: Wikipedia is written using PHP which is the world’s open library.

Top 5 Reasons why PHP is still so crucial for web development? 

Below is a list of some excellent reasons why PHP is still a top choice among developers: 

1. It is cost free and open source:

PHP is a language that is free for access by anyone making it an economical option for server side programming. For any developer it’s crucial to list out as many as possible economical choices before clients. If you hire PHP developers that are proficient they can provide you with the best web development services at minimal cost. This programming language has been around since the decades and is still updated with the latest requirements. 

Although it is a free library, its team ensures sync with modern day requirements. Such a vast community of existing PHP developers ensures that you aren’t stuck anywhere in the middle of the project. 

2. It is compatible with all operating systems:

One of the most fascinating reasons to use PHP is its compatibility with all the web development technologies and operating systems. PHP can support any system be it Windows, Mac, Linux or UNIX. Modern day technologies are not as robust as PHP even though they have their own advantages.

Its compatibility with all the operating systems will provide you flexibility to deploy applications anytime and anywhere. It is also known to excellently integrate with languages like MySQL and Apache. PHP is also an ideal language in the era that demands cross-platform compatibility. If you want to develop an application that needs to work well on versatile platforms, PHP can be a great choice. PHP development services can solve your worries about operating system compatibility. 

3. Functional, flexible and safe:

Instances of cyber attacks have been increasing with each day’s increasing need for security. PHP has an encryption facility making it a more preferable choice. The encryption capacity of PHP is what makes it an extraordinary choice for a web development project. Without any human intervention PHP can load applications and websites. Also with PHP it is feasible to script your system in a manner to automatically install updates. You can also easily import your project with open source libraries like PrivateBin. 

4. Has robust frameworks:

There are almost no modern day websites that are built from scratch. And building a website becomes easy with the availability of frameworks. PHP has availability of a large amount of frameworks making it a favorable choice for the majority of developers. About 80% of these modern day websites are built using the frameworks from PHP. 

One can easily select from the given frameworks and create their web app quickly. The new PHP frameworks are known to utilize Model View Controller architecture that speeds up the coding process. It further also lets PHP developers build an efficient solution. 

To your amazement many popular websites in the world utilize PHP such as Wikipedia, tumblr and Canva. One of the most notable mentions is about Canva that came into existence in 2013. This application grew way more popular with each day. Developers of Canava preferred PHP for server side programming indicating its importance even in the modern world. 

5. Flexibility of database:

Today’s web applications are known to exchange data in terabytes which is surely a huge amount. Hence to support such web applications you will need a scalable data management solution. 

Some of the currently popular databases are MYSQL, MongoDB and Big Data which are all compatible with PHP framework.As per data connectivity PHP is the most flexible choice. With this programming language you can use any database you want for your web application. One can also migrate the web application to the other databases without any compatibility issues. 

Conclusion 

PHP is still a relevant language in the year 2023 and used to build innumerable applications. Its popularity accounts to the fact that it is easy to learn, easy to use and has been around for a long time. If you want to thrive in the modern business world, hire PHP developers to make your website more proficient. 

The flexibility that PHP development service provides will help adapt to any platform or devices. It is one of the uncomplicated things to learn and implement. It provides more advantages than all other programming languages.

Read more: 6 Reasons Why You Are Still An Amateur At Laravel Website