Surely you have heard about PHP, one of the oldest programming languages. It has been around us for around 28 years!
But, you might think: Wait, isn't PHP dead? Aren't there better and newer programming languages?" Why do we still care about this old friend?
Well, stay tuned because we'll answer all these questions.
What is PHP Lang
Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is an open-source programming and server scripting language.
Created by Rasmus Lenford, it's a general-purpose scripting language to develop static or dynamic web pages and apps.
PHP was one of the first languages able to embed HTML to ease functionalities addition without calling external files.
It evolved with regular updates, features and capabilities, becoming compatible with several databases and services.
Is PHP a Programming Language?
Well, yes and no.
While a language, it's not a programming one: PHP is a scripting language.
The main difference between these types of languages lies in their purposes.
Programming languages focus on setting instructions to communicate with computers.
Contrariwise, scripting languages automate operations within runtime environments.
Nevertheless, PHP is open-source, server-side, and general-purpose.
It has many uses in web development and user interface!
Key Features of PHP
As we mentioned, PHP is a programming language with open-source software, meaning that it's free to use and distribute.
You may not consider it an appealing language, yet there are some strengths that show why PHP is still relevant nowadays:
- Free. Besides open-source, PHP has many free frameworks, such as Laravel and Symfony, which help control costs.
- Easy. As it's easy to learn, it's a good starting point if you need to gain extensive knowledge!
- Versatile. The language works on several platforms, such as Windows and Linux, and in databases, like MySQL and PostgreSQL.
- Supported. Because it's a veteran and widely used language, PHP has a large community base with tutorials, tips and FAQs.
- Secure. PHP competes well on speed, especially with newer versions, and it’s as secure as others on cybersecurity.
- Stable. PHP has supported sites like Wikipedia for over 25 years! Upgrades include memory control and request escalation.
- Legacy. Last but not least, PHP's legacy comes essential with its extensive testing and uncommon bugs.
PHP vs Other Languages
You might be thinking: aren't most languages or frameworks able to perform the same things as PHP?
The answer is yes. Because of this, we'd also like to talk about other popular tools.
We hope it helps you to make well-informed decisions on your next project.
PHP vs JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the most popular ones, and has been around for almost as long as PHP.
Yes, JavaScript often serves as a client-side language, so we can’t make a direct comparison with PHP.
Yet, the rise of frameworks like Node.JS allows devs to code server-side scripts with JS.
Both languages are versatile, but only JS allows full-stack development.
PHP is easier to maintain, so using it can mean lower dev costs.
PHP vs Python
Python is another popular programming language, beloved for its simplicity and flexibility.
Its most frequent uses encompass Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
But it still trails far behind PHP in web development.
Yes, Python has an increasing number of frameworks and libraries.
Yet, it doesn't provide PHP's levels of connectivity and support.
PHP vs Ruby
Another open-source language that has been around since the 90s is Ruby, and its popular Ruby on Rails framework.
Some huge pros of Ruby are its elegant syntax and its robust performance.
But it’s more challenging to learn and has a different level of community support than PHP.
Conclusion
As a summary, and to answer the big question: yes! P
HP is still alive and thriving, dear friends.
Even with new languages around, there are no signs of decomposition yet.
More than 50% of the total websites on the internet today have PHP as the back end.
PHP has been the leading tech to develop millions of websites for almost three decades.
Moreover, there are few signs of downsides in the market.
While we cannot assure you what the future holds, we hope future updates keep it relevant for a long time.
Its qualities and community are remarkable.
We hope this article helped you at least consider PHP for your following projects!
