In web development we have some tools for design, others for layout, others for programming, and for debugging. All the tools we use are very important, from the Operating System to the smallest command. For this reason, we must choose the most appropriate one for our needs and capabilities.
As a PHP developer, you know that it is important to know which PHP framework to choose. A framework is an essential development tool because it allows you to create robust, secure, and functional applications in a short time.
On some occasions, we need to know the information and the parameters of the PHP interpreter of our web server. Knowing these parameters helps us to determine the status of the server, the possible causes of some problems, and as necessary information to configure the server correctly depending on our needs.
Introduction of PHP
The most widely used server-side programming language on the web. With PHP you can backend web applications in an accessible, simple, and direct way.
Also, one of the most used languages, how it is reflected in all global indexes. With PHP you can develop sites and applications of all kinds. PHP is the engine in addition to the most popular CMS, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal or Magento, among many others. In PHP we also find powerful and widely used frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony.
One of the advantages of PHP is its ease of use. Anyone with very little knowledge can start using PHP for web page development. However, that same advantage can also be a drawback, because if you do not have the proper training it is easy to fall into bad practices. Another great advantage is its availability since we find it in most web hosting of all kinds.
Programming
For some, it is an unattainable concept such as learning space science. For others, it might be a hobby – an activity you do to relax after a long day at work. And there is the third group – people who use programming daily to work. Whichever group defines you best, something cannot be denied – programming is an excellent career to follow. To choose the best among all the programming languages, we are going to compare two languages by comparing and contrasting them. In this comparison guide, we will discuss whether it is better to learn PHP or learn JavaScript.
We will start by describing the main reasons why people choose to learn to program. Later, we will talk about the use of PHP and the use of JavaScript. Finally, after establishing the comparative criteria, we will use them to decide whether you should learn PHP
What is PHP Used For?
If programming is something completely new to you, you might ask yourself – isn’t it a ‘ programming language’ then? It is, – the ‘ scripting ‘ part means that PHP supports scripts that allow developers and programmers to automate certain specific processes, thus saving a lot of time and avoiding manual programming.
PHP was launched and created in 1994, by Mr. RasmusLerdorf. Since then, it has received many updates and is now considered one of the most popular programming languages for web development.
The Popularity
First of all, the PHP language is an excellent option if you want to work fast. This is because the well-done PHP framework will be able to make and execute the best decisions when it comes to solving several different problems. PHP speeds up the entire development process a bit. This effective development was achieved thanks to the constant growth of the open-source PHP community worldwide – an important point in deciding whether to learn PHP or JavaScript.
Another excellent feature of PHP is that it is an ideal programming language for teamwork. If you are learning to program, you surely want to be a developer in a company, which means that you will be working with a team of people, which is not always easy! That said, if the company uses PHP for the development needs of its web platform, the introduction and learning processes should be simple and effective.
There is a lot of information about the online language (which applies when learning PHP or JavaScript). Employers are flexible in hiring less experienced developers because they know that there is a lot of information available to learn.
Most Popular Backend Language
PHP is the most popular language for backend development, that is, it is the most widely used technology when it comes to server-side languages.
The reason for this success is not only the ease with which PHP allows developing pages but also being part of the most common stack of technologies on the Internet: LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP).
PHP History
PHP is a programming language that already accumulates a long history. About the brief existence of the Internet, PHP has gone through different states, always growing in functionalities, performance, and tools available in the language.
Its beginnings were not very ambitious. PHP was originally a simple interpreter for form processing, created by Rasmus Lerdorf under the name PHP / FI. It consisted of a set of CGI scripts written in C, which in 1995 was presented to the world under the name “Personal Home Page”, a version that earned the PHP acronym for this language. This same year Rasmus released the source code for its forms interpreter so that other developers could use it.
The PHP community grew rapidly, as its tools made it easier to carry out common processes in a simple way. After several years in which little relevant improvements were presented, the first version of PHP that resembles today’s language was presented as PHP 3. This is the first installment of PHP that was developed in the community, involving developers of everyone and it was compatible with all popular operating systems.
The advantage of PHP 3 over other languages for backend programming was its ease. The complete set of functionalities integrated into its core, which allowed working with a large number of databases, the file system, dynamic image generation, and a long, etc. From this version, PHP changed its name.
With PHP 4, the entire PHP code was rewritten, to increase the performance of the language and facilitate the maintenance of its code, improving its modularity. PHP version 4, released in 2000, included managing outbound buffers sessions and support for various types of web servers. The language had become extremely popular, available on most Internet web servers, yet it still lacked some highlights, compared to more mature languages.
We can say that PHP maturity was reached with PHP 5. This version had a robust object orientation, necessary for the development of large and maintainable applications. Throughout the versions of PHP 5, more and more features such as namespaces or traits were incorporated that positioned PHP as an object-oriented language at the height of the most advanced. Thanks to these improvements, one of the most popular tools in the PHP ecosystem was released, such as its Composer dependency manager.
PHP Development And Execution Platforms
PHP is a cross-platform language, which means that it is available in the most common operating systems:
- Windows
- Linux
- Mac
This means that we can build PHP sites and applications on any computer we want. However, the development and deployment platforms have different peculiarities.
PHP Development Platforms
To develop PHP sites we need to install on our computer all the programs necessary to work: a web server, PHP itself, and generally a database such as MySQL or any other.
Having all the necessary programs to develop in PHP is simple, but there are innumerable possibilities, depending on your computer and the needs of the software you are creating. To understand the different options that we have we can read the detail in the article creating a development environment for PHP.
Platforms for the Deployment of PHP Sites and Applications
Regarding the deployment of PHP applications, that is, the systems where they will be in production, available to visiting users, the most common platform is Linux. The reasons are diverse, but we could highlight the stability of the system, but also that being free software, it is not necessary to pay for a license.
At this point PHP, We can say that PHP had reached sufficient robustness to carry out advanced programming, at the level of languages such as Ruby or Java. However, at this point, its great burden was limited performance. The situation that would be solved with PHP 7.
This new version of PHP managed to double the performance of the applications and in more modern versions, such as PHP 7.2 or 7.3, it triples the speed of PHP 5. Thanks to this update, we are dealing with a language that has all the necessary and desirable characteristics for any type of project.
What may change to the tastes of administrators is the webserver where the sites will be published. The most important servers for PHP are Apache and Nginx. Apache is the most common option and the one that offers us more configuration possibilities. Nginx for its part is a lighter server, which is very commonly used when you want to optimize PHP and get sites a little faster.
In principle, when we want to publish a website, it is not necessary to install any program, because we generally hire a hosting space that has PHP support. Now that you have familiarized yourself with the idea of a scripting language and know what the PHP language is used for
There are the best PHP tools for a web developer
Symfony
It is one of the best known and appreciated Frameworks in the PHP world, it is very stable, very efficient, and well documented.
Without a doubt, what makes Symfony so successful is its modularity. This framework offers you a multitude of ready-to-use functions that facilitate the creation of professional projects and applications in a very short time with development in very robust REST APIs.
HP – Login and User Management
This PHP is one of the best PHP which supports many formats and works as a framework for the website.
This Script includes:
- Captcha integration
- Profiles
- Support for social media login
- Login expiration
- Password restoration via code via email
- Activation by email and welcome
- As well as many features of the Administrator control panel
With the installation wizard and HTML5 Twitter Bootstrap design, your PHP Section Start and User Management Script will be up and running in no time.
Ultimate Client Manager – CRM – Pro Edition
Its features compete with some of the other major software providers on the market. Host this script on your website or a server.
Ultimate Client Manager – CRM – Pro Edition
This PHP has an extensive variety of features, such as:
- Enjoy standard PGP / RSA encrypted fields
- Lift support tickets by email.
- Organize your potential customers, clients, projects, and invoices
- Your clients can log in and see the status of their project
- You can enable billing features to help organize and automate billing for your customers.
- Convert invoices to PDF
- Make multiple exchange rates and taxes
- Register clients and staff so they can upload project files
These are just some of the features that you will find in this PHP code. This Script is powerful enough to compete with the best CRMs on the market. Download it now and find out for yourself!
PHP Scripts for Project Management
If you are a freelance and you are looking for a tool to help you manage your business. Freelance Cockpit 2 is a nice project management system that adapts to your needs and will help you achieve it.
Not only does it allow you to organize your projects and communicate with your clients, but you can also manage your expenses and billing!
PHP Scripts for Project Management
It has Gravatar support, the ability to customize CSS, and very useful tools such as recurring invoices and expense tracking. Some of its characteristics are:
- Private messaging
- PayPal subscriptions and IPN integration
- Backup of the database
- User activity widget
- Customer estimates
- Project timer
Hitesh Khatwani
Hitesh Khatwani is Sr. PHP Developer at USS LLC. He likes to share tips Codeigniter Development and Laravel Web Development