Good old PHP, the foundation of the vibrant world of web development.

Contents:

• What is PHP?
• Key Features
• How the Language is Used on the Modern Web
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• How to Start Learning PHP
• Useful resources from the editors of Skillbox.by

What is PHP?

The name of the language comes from the abbreviation "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor". This is the result of the evolution of web development, which was created in 1994 as a set of scripts in the C language. This server-side programming language, the creator Rasmus Lerdorf, was originally conceived as a way to make it easier to write dynamic web pages. Over time, PHP has become a foundation for web development, and is now one of the most sought-after and frequently used programming languages ​​in this field.

Today, numerous studies have been conducted and rankings compiled that calculate the popularity index of programming languages ​​and their relevance. In the Skillfactory rankings, PHP ranks 8th, and on GitHub it ranks 7th. A study on hexlet.io mentions that PHP remains in the top ten most popular languages. And in the TIOBE rating for October 2023, it ranks 8th.PHP has been and will remain the most popular environment for creating programs that process user requests. Although it is inferior to its competitors in the rating, many websites are written in it. For example, VKontakte. According to statistics, the backend (the part of a web application responsible for data processing, business logic, and interaction with the database) of 76.7% of websites on the Internet is written in PHP. Therefore, we can confidently say that the language will be relevant and popular for a long time.

Main Characteristics of PHP

PHP has several key features that make it particularly attractive for web development. Let's take a closer look:

• With new releases, the language moves away from the once-popular dynamic typing to strict (strong) typing, which fully meets the established trends in the programming world and the needs of programmers.
• The language supports various database management systems (DBMS), including the popular MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc. Due to this, developers can write applications that interact with various DBMS, ensuring the versatility and extensibility of web projects.
• One ​​of its strengths is the ability to be embedded in HTML code. Developers can embed code directly into web pages. This allows them to dynamically generate page content on the server and manage data. This, in turn, simplifies the development of dynamic websites and provides greater flexibility in page design.
• Simple and clear syntax that even beginners can quickly master. The only drawback of the language was weak consistency. That is, inconsistency in attributes and self-repetitions, when the same function could be called in different ways. However, this problem is gradually being resolved with the release of new releases. This makes the language accessible to a wide audience and provides an easy start in the programming profession. At the same time, it is a powerful tool for writing complex web applications and processing large amounts of data.
• The language supports a variety of tasks, from writing websites to processing forms, working with email, interacting with file systems, and more. This versatility makes it a universal environment for web development.

How PHP is used on the modern web

With PHP, developers have access to a variety of tools and resources. This makes the language an excellent choice for web projects large and small - from personal blogs to powerful portals and online stores. Let's consider what types of web projects use PHP:

• Websites.The language is used to create static and dynamic websites - from small personal pages to large-scale corporate portals. PHP provides tools for creating unique and functional websites.
• Online stores.Many e-commerce configurations, including the popular Magento and WooCommerce, are built on PHP. They provide many features vital for e-commerce. For example, managing product catalogs, orders, payments, and delivery.
• Blogs.Blogging platforms are the hallmark of PHP. WordPress, one of the most popular CMS for blogging, is based on PHP and MySQL. It was this language that made the Internet accessible to millions of content authors.
• Forums.The language is used to create interactive forums and communities where users can discuss various topics. Examples include popular forum engines like phpBB and vBulletin.
• Social Networks. Several social networks and content sharing platforms like Facebook and Tumblr started with PHP. And they continue to use it to varying degrees. In the form of "pure" PHP (Tumblr) or a PHP-like language like Hack (Facebook).
• Content Management (CMS).In the world of CMS, PHP has a special place. For example, in addition to WordPress, there are CMS such as Joomla, Drupal, and TYPO3, which make it easy to manage website content and create interactive portals.
• Frameworks. The language is known for its frameworks, which simplify the development of web applications. Laravel, Symfony, and Yii are globally recognized frameworks that provide tools for rapid development of stable web applications.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP

Like any programming language, PHP has its pros and cons. Let's take a closer look.

Advantages:

• Available and affordable infrastructure. Many hosting providers support different versions of PHP, allowing you to deploy web applications on their servers.
• A variety of ready-made solutions and libraries. A huge and constantly growing community has created and continues to create numerous solutions for various tasks. From frameworks and CMS to extensions for working with databases and image processing. Today, there are many tools to speed up development.
• Database support. The language easily integrates with a wide range of database management systems, giving developers greater flexibility when working with data.
• Performance. PHP is more productive than Python. This is especially noticeable in applications with high server loads and complex calculations. It also consumes fewer machine resources: CPU and RAM.
• Prospects. Due to its popularity, the language is in demand among employers, which makes it an attractive choice for programmers.

Disadvantages:

• Security issues. Insufficient attention to security in PHP code can lead to vulnerabilities. Such as the risk of injecting malicious code into the server database or inserting malicious scripts into web pages that open on user devices. However, this can be avoided by following best practices in cybersecurity, and PHP in particular.
• Dependence on server configuration. PHP applications depend on the server configuration, which can cause problems when porting to other hosting platforms.

How to start learning PHP

PHP continues to be a popular programming language in the world of web development. Its flexibility, rich ecosystem, and ease of learning make it the most suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. Writing dynamic web applications, websites, online stores, and CMS becomes more accessible thanks to this language.

Starting to learn PHP is an excellent solution for those who want to enter the world of web development and obtain a sought-after profession. The editors of Skillbox.by have compiled recommendations that can help with this:

• Learn the basics of the language.Start by understanding the basic concepts: variables, conditionals, and loops. Textbooks and online courses are good places to start.
• Work on simple projects.Build small web applications. For example, a feedback form or an interactive calculator. Practice is the key to understanding the language.
• Study databases. Since PHP is often used to work with databases, learning SQL and interacting with DBMS (such as MySQL) is also important.
• Dive into frameworks.After learning the basics, you can move on to learning frameworks. For example, Laravel or Symfony. They simplify the creation of complex applications and expand development capabilities.

Useful resources from the Skillbox.by editorial team

To make it easier for beginners to understand the features of this development environment, and for current PHP developers to gain new knowledge, we present a list of useful resources for study.

References:

• Josh Lockhart, "Modern PHP: New Features and Best Practices" — a guide to modern practices and methodologies in web development.
• Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides, Grady Booch, "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software" — a timeless classic that presents design patterns as solutions to typical problems in object-oriented programming.
• Robert Martin "Clean Code: Creating, Analyzing, and Refactoring" is a handbook for a programmer writing in any language. It provides recommendations for writing readable, effective, and maintainable program code.
• Andrey Shkryl "PHP is Simple: Programming for a Website" is an excellent guide for beginners that will help you understand the basics of web development.
• Developing Web Applications with PHP and MySQL by Luke Welling and John Thomson is a comprehensive guide that provides practical skills for a deep understanding of the principles of creating dynamic web applications.

Online resources:

• Habr Q&A andHabr PHP — a community of IT specialists where you can ask questions and get answers on various topics, including PHP.
• PHP Library — Telegram channel, a project of the "Programmer's Library" channel, where you can find articles, announcements, and interview questions.
• PHP Digest — Telegram channel with collections of news and updates on PHP and frameworks.
• Beer::PHP — Telegram channel with mini-posts about PHP, excerpts from articles, courses, etc.
• Pykh — Telegram channel of Valentin Udaltsov, a Symfony contributor and a media personality in the PHP community. Here they post interesting posts, recordings of presentations, and host broadcasts on various topics about PHP and Symfony.
• PHP The Right Way is an online guide for quickly learning the rules for using PHP effectively, accepted coding standards, and links to official guides.