With the various major web browsers: Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera, announcing that they are ending support for flash content, there is now one less option for web developers to worry about. Deciding on the right programming language such as PHP is an important part of software development and will be one of the key deciders of your success. Some languages can perform more complex tasks and others are best suited to text-based interactions. Trying to use the wrong programming language is like trying to hammer a nail with a screwdriver; you might be able to do it but it will be needlessly difficult.
There are a number of reasons why PHP is a particularly useful language for web developers to learn. No language can fulfill every software role, but for the right tasks, PHP is versatile, easy to use, and very powerful.
Familiarity with PHP
PHP evolved from C and C++ and as such much of its syntax will be familiar to those who have experience with either of those languages. C and C++ are two of the most commonly used programming languages in the world and this familiarity makes it easy for coders to transition from C and C++ for desktop development and to PHP for web development. PHP is not as well suited to the kind of complex graphical tasks that are usually associated with C and its sister languages, but it is capable of basic graphical functions such as representing data on a graph. PHP is also the first port of call for developers looking to develop certain tools, for example, an email verifier for anyone needing to verify whether email addresses are accurate. This is because PHP is closely related to MySQL, a popular choice for creating and accessing databases.
Control and Efficiency
While PHP has its roots in C, it has also been carefully developed to offer similarly advanced capabilities, but with a greater emphasis on commands likely to be used as part of web development. Because of this, PHP is incredibly streamlined in some areas and can save developers a considerable amount of time and money compared to less efficient and unfamiliar languages. It doesn’t hurt that PHP is open source either, meaning that there are no licensing fees and its dedicated user base is constantly releasing custom scripts and plugins that can be used to customize the language’s capabilities for your needs.
Platform Independence
PHP is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and all other Unix variants. It is also supported by all major web browsers so that developers need not worry about their content functioning correctly, even on mobile devices. For commercial software developers, moving code from one platform to another represents a significant chunk of company time and manpower. In addition, PHP supports all major web servers and is designed to optimize server performance by using its own memory. PHP is also one of the most secure programming languages one can use for web development.
PHP is without a doubt one of the best tools at any web developers’ disposal. Anyone serious about web design should consider learning PHP using either one of the many eBooks available for free online or a service such as Code Academy.
