Top Reasons To Use PHP For Your Next Project

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor or simply “PHP” allows users to access any site written using the scripting language on every operating system. While it’s primarily centered around server-side scripting, developers also use it to perform tasks Common Gateway Interface (CGI)  programs do. A few examples include sending and receiving cookies, creating dynamic page content, and collecting data from forms. However, given that there are tons of programming languages to specialize in, you may be wondering if these are enough reasons to choose PHP as the scripting language. Take a closer look at the advantages you shouldn’t miss:

Overall Usability

PHP is continuously evolving and providing developers with the opportunity to create big, new, projects like never before. As an object-oriented language, it boasts a wide range of tools for debugging, testing, and optimization. For instance, Gubed PHP Debugger can be used to locate logic errors while PHPUnit lets you test for scalability. Meanwhile, PHP Profile Class helps you identify parts of your existing code that needs refactoring.

Content Management System (CMS) Compatibility

Keep in mind that there aren’t any limits to the amount of customization you can perform on PHP websites. This makes it the ideal tool for meeting clients’ requirements in website creation. In fact, Joomla, WordPress, and Drupal among other CMS run on PHP. With this advantage, marketing teams can take content personalization and bring it to a whole new level. Simply put, they can use it to produce content unique to the clients’ experiences, contexts, and goals.

Growth and Flexibility

On the subject of CMS, WordPress, one of the most widely-used, runs 30% of all websites, At its core, it’s undoubtedly a platform commonly maximized for its ability to present adaptive content. Thus, developers must make sure that their sites are responsive at all times to accommodate this feature. In order to do so, developers may add in lines from the PHP scripting language into the existing HTML5 code. This converts and elevates simple static websites into their more dynamic counterparts for enhanced user experiences.

It’s also worth noting that Facebook, one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, uses PHP. Not only that, but it also created Hack, a programming language derived from PHP for the HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM). While both commendable in their own right, these examples only demonstrate the scripting language’s flexibility.

Extensive

The PHP scripting language is known for its vast library. Depending on their concerns, developers, regardless of their current skill levels, may browse through an endless selection of reports. Moreover, keep in mind that every great web developer was once a beginner. Fortunately, those just starting out may find themselves welcomed with online libraries filled with tutorials and resources. Meanwhile, more advanced users may be immersed in online communities that support the scripting language. Still, its massive audience continuously offers support for unresolved issues and newly-found problems.

Speed

Website owners aiming for shorter turnaround times can effortlessly acquire them through PHP. Development teams in the process of creating enterprise applications, for example, tend to experience smaller, if not non-existent learning curves. This holds true regardless of the framework they specialize in (Laravel, Phalcon, Symfony, among others). As a result, teams may create powerful roles and modules, improve productivity, and reuse code as needed.

Add-Ons

At this point, it’s also worth noting that the PHP scripting language is free and open source. Thus, communities of online developers endlessly work towards creating their own PHP extensions. More often than not, developers submit these extensions to the PHP Extension and Application Repository (PEAR). Users who install PEAR on their system may then access reusable PHP components which easily add more functionalities on websites. Alternatively, some of the top PHP plugins commonly installed on WordPress include WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and Yoast SEO.

Choosing PHP Scripting Language Among Many Others

With every advantage presented, you may still have doubts about choosing to write with PHP simply because there are other alternatives. However, when you outsource web development, the team you’re working with may share insights on why they prefer the language. For one, it’s more efficient than JavaScript when it comes down to web programming. Moreover, many of PHP’s must-use libraries are unavailable from the other. On the other hand, while Python is popular for its data analytics, it presents more challenges in terms of running it on web servers.

PHP’s hands-on community, cross-platform compatibility, and many opportunities for scalability easily allow the scripting language to stand out. In reality, many developers engage in many discussions and collaborations throughout the web and on multiple projects. Nevertheless, choosing PHP by default without considering your current circumstances isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. If your team specializes in other scripting languages, there’s no need to switch to PHP as soon as possible. Maximize your current resources and expand your operations from there.

Would you use the PHP scripting language?

About Adam Tan

Adam is a charming geek who loves his family's Siberian Husky, enjoys the occasional night out with friends and, most of all, lives and breathes new trends and updates about the web and its technicalities. If you want to stay updated with changes or new trends on the web or learn about the technicalities that are involved, he's your guy. He's capable of writing cheesy stuff as well, but he'd rather stick with the manly stuff.

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