Today there are many server-side languages available, then why is PHP still considered the go-to server-side scripting language in 2020? The answer is quite simple; since PHP was created in 1994 it has received enormous support, it has received regular updates, and has overcome any challenges it faces. In this article, we will discuss the top reasons that keep PHP relevant in a time when technology changes almost every day.
PHP Is Open-Source
As PHP is open-source, you don’t need to pay any licensing fee. This helps keep the cost of your project down. Anybody can simply go to PHP’s website and download the software from there, without any payment details. So, all you need to do is hire PHP developers to get started you’re your project.
It Is Easy To Learn
Speaking from a developer’s point of view, learning PHP is quite easy when compared to other server-side scripting languages. The syntax in PHP is easy to understand, this makes the learning curve for PHP is a lot smaller than other server-side languages. And if you are familiar with Perl or C scripting language, learning PHP becomes even easier.
Great Control
When you build a web application in PHP, you stay in control. While scripting you don’t need to write long codes, PHP is designed to more, by writing less code. This does not only come in handy while writing code, but it also comes in handy when you or another developer needs to make changes. As PHP has a clean code structure, locating and editing code becomes very easy.
Has a Lot of Support
PHP has been around for a very long time, and being such a popular choice it has one of the largest and loyal comminutes to back it up. From new updates, tutorials, technical documents are all available regularly. If you face any problem with any aspect of PHP, there is a tutorial or document to help you out.
It Is Secure
Cyber-security has become the number one concern for most businesses today. The scare of a data breach is something that all businesses think about. This is why using a server-side language that is secure is important.
PHP comes with an inbuilt layer of security that protects it against viruses and other threats. Security is one of the biggest reasons for people choosing PHP over other server-side languages, especially in grander projects.
An advanced framework like Laravel
There are many advanced frameworks built on PHP, and Laravel is one of the best. It is not only easier to develop sites using Laravel, but it is also much easier to manage and maintain the website. Laravel also adds an additional security measure into the already secure PHP.
Today, a lot of developers are moving to Laravel PHP to build amazing sites, with less of the efforts.
PHP Is the Backbone of Most CMS’s
Even when you use a CMS (Content Management System) to create a website for you, you are most probably working, on a PHP framework. Famous CMS’s like Joomla and WordPress are created using PHP as the server-side language.
PHP is used in CMS’s to make them more secure, faster and easy to edit. For example, you can easily access the PHP code in WordPress and edit it, write from within the WordPress admin panel.
Speed
Speed is something that is considered in every part of a project, people want their project to get off the ground soon, they want the development to be over soon, and they want the end result to be fast so that the users have a good experience.
PHP is open-source, you don’t need to wait for any kind of licensing or subscription to start, you can start your project right away. Coding with PHP is much easier when compared to other server-side languages; this makes it a much faster option as well. When the project is ready to go live you would see that the speed of the website is almost fast, this is because PHP uses its own memory. By using its own memory, PHP is able to reduce the page loading time by a lot.
Scalable
When you develop a project you can never be sure how big it can get, you can make estimates but a successful project can bring in a lot more traffic and load then you originally estimated. As PHP is scalable, you don’t need to worry about the load or traffic. PHP can handle a lot of webpages, and requests without lagging behind.
Today, some of the biggest websites use PHP as their server-side language. Sites like Facebook, Wikipedia, and WordPress all use PHP.
Platform Independent
PHP works on any platform, whether it is Windows, UNIX, Linux or macOS. You can run PHP on any of these without any issues. PHP also supports all major web servers like Apache, Microsoft IIS, Netscape, and Personal Web Server.
PHP Is Not Industry-Specifics
The usage of PHP cannot be narrowed down to a number of industries. PHP is used across all industries and business types. It is used social networking, medical, logistics, e-commerce, CMS, CRMS and many other types of businesses and industries.
PHP Is Tested and Reliable
One of the biggest reasons to still see PHP lead the way in 2020 is its tenure. It has been available to the public for over 25 years. Business owners and software developers trust PHP. It has been tested over and over again by thousands of people and has always come out on top. This trust and reliability factor makes PHP go strong even in 2020.
Conclusion
After going through the points in this article, you should be able to understand that PHP is not going anywhere, at least in the near future. So, if you are looking to learn PHP, go ahead. If you are looking to start a project involving PHP, go ahead.
There are a lot of good PHP development companies around that can help you with your project, one such company is Optimal Virtual Employee. You can hire top-rated PHP developers from OVE at hourly or monthly rates. You can contact OVE by email, phone or by filling up the contact us form.
