PHP is an interpreted programming language, which means it does not compile. Its code is processed on a server, and is mainly used in web development to add dynamism to pages.
PHP stands for hypertext (HTML) preprocessor.
It has a great impact and use in the web world. Currently, more than 30% of websites use PHP, especially in e-commerce, using CMS content management systems such as Shopify and Wordpress, to structure web pages.
History
PHP was the first server-side programming language for web pages, which allowed easy embedding of HTML code.
In the past, JavaScript could only be executed on the browser side, so PHP was very important in allowing you to manage the logic of a website from the server side and send an HTML response to the browser.
For a long time, PHP led web development. Its ability to be combined with HTML using opening and closing tags made it easy to create dynamic HTML. In addition, its deployment is simple, since it only requires copying a few folders.
Starting in 2000, PHP became very popular, being used on major websites such as Wikipedia and Facebook. CMS systems, especially Wordpress, further promoted its use.
Decline and Resurgence
In 2008, with the arrival of HTML5, many of PHP’s functionalities were covered by new APIs and features.
Later, in 2009 and 2010, NodeJS appeared, allowing JavaScript to be executed on the server and the creation of complete web applications with JavaScript.
These advances caused PHP to begin to lose popularity. Furthermore, PHP did not release updates frequently and was surpassed by other languages such as Ruby in terms of functionality.
However, in 2011, the Laravel framework revived interest in PHP by introducing many new features and easier package management. In 2015, PHP version 7 fixed many problems, especially typing, and significantly improved its performance. In 2020, PHP 8 was released with further improvements in performance and security.
PHP Features
PHP is an interpreted language, which can result in slower performance compared to other compiled languages, since it needs to be interpreted and processed each time a script is to be executed.
Also, PHP is not strongly typed. Originally, it was not a typed language, making it prone to data validation errors. More recent versions have introduced data typing options.
The cost of hosting applications with PHP is inexpensive. It is easier to learn than many other languages and can be combined with other technologies.
On the other hand, it can present challenges in terms of scalability and code maintenance, especially for more complex websites. PHP. Since it is not a strongly typed language, it can be insecure if good development practices are not implemented. However, by taking proper precautions, a good level of security can be achieved, such as input field validations and the use of prepared queries to avoid sql code injections.
PHP has a historical reputation for bad practices and messy code, although newer versions and modern frameworks have improved this perception.
Current usage
PHP is still one of the most used languages in the world, although it is not as preferred among current programmers. Its use is mainly limited to web development.
Despite competition from new technologies like NodeJS, it remains relevant and an extensive base of websites use it. PHP continues to evolve with new versions and improvements, remaining an important tool in web development.
PHP operation
When a user makes a request through the browser, it is sent to the web server, which loads a PHP script. The script processes the request and returns a response. The PHP interpreter converts this response into HTML and sends it back to the browser.
The Evolution of Web Applications and the Impact on PHP
The arrival of frontend frameworks like Angular and React, along with asynchronous responses, changed the way web pages are programmed. Single Page Applications (SPA) allow a web page to never completely reload, but instead allow requests to occur in the background, offering a more dynamic and fluid user experience. This evolution left behind the old way of independent page loading, which was one of the original advantages of PHP.
The ability to write an entire application with a single language, such as JavaScript, thanks to Node.js, has caused PHP to lose steam. Using a single language for the entire development stack is more efficient for both programmers and companies, since less staff is required and it is easier to find developers who handle JavaScript. In addition, maintaining a project with a single language is simpler and cheaper.
Node.js also offers more stable solutions for projects that require two-way communication, such as sockets. Migrating from PHP to another language is more complicated compared to Node.js. Despite these challenges, PHP remains one of the most used languages in the world, although it is not as preferred among current programmers.
Securing a system with PHP can be more complicated in terms of security, as it requires more measures to protect it compared to other languages. However, due to its wide historical adoption, most websites still use PHP and will continue to do so for a long time.
JavaScript, with its ECMA standard, ensures consistent operation across browsers and promotes good programming practices, avoiding messy code. This contrasts with some of PHP’s historical limitations in terms of programming standards and practices.
Top comments (2)
This is the first programming language that has helped me make money.🦸♂️
a very used language :)