Oct 23, 2022
PHP Is Not Dead And Here’s Why
Since 1994 PHP has been around and is currently one of the world’s most widely used programming languages. It’s open source, free, and runs on almost every operating system. But as PHP grows old, new developers are drawn to new languages such as Python and Ruby.
PHP is dying or not; it continues to be one of the most asked questions, as there are various new languages to attract new developers every year. Yet we cannot say that PHP is dead for many reasons. This post will explain why PHP isn’t dead and why you should continue using it in your projects.
About PHP
PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It’s a web scripting language widely used on the internet to create web pages. It can be used in HTML code by simply adding a PHP tag without extra work. Businesses hire PHP developers to build their apps.
Rasmus Lerdorf created PHP in 1994, and in 2011, PHP overtook Java to become the world’s second most popular programming language after C. Nearly 80 percent of all websites are built on PHP, and many new software development companies use it to develop dynamic website functionality.
The simplicity of learning and using PHP has helped it become one of the most widely used languages on the internet today. If you are planning to have PHP developers, several PHP web development companies in India can help you, onboard skilled developers.
Here Is Why PHP Not Going Anywhere?
When we look back a few years, we can see that PHP’s popularity on GitHub has been slipping little by little. Yet, according to Kinsta, among languages for building web servers, PHP is the most used, accounting for 79.2% of all websites and making it popular for programmers and developers because of its widespread use.
Source: Kinsta
In 2022, HTML (42%) was the most popular programming languages among developers around the world. Other notable programs included Javascript, PHP and Lua- all designed for specific needs or uses. The source pointed out that these coding languages were formally codified sets of instructions that generated many types of outputs- depending on what was needed or desired from them.
Programming language software share breakdown worldwide in 2022
Source
Why Do People Think It’s Dying?
There are many reasons people think that PHP is dying. One of those reasons is that many developers are shifting to using frameworks like Laravel and Ruby on Rails because they offer more features out-of-the-box.
Another reason why some people believe PHP is dying is that it has come under scrutiny from some security experts who say that the language contains security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.
However still, with PHP being one of the most popular languages in the world, it’s unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. Companies like Facebook & Google have been known to use PHP. That, coupled with the fact that new versions of the language have helped to address some of its security flaws, makes it hard for anyone to argue against PHP as an important programming language for building applications.
Most Used Programming Languages Among Developers Worldwide 2022
Source: Statista
As of 2022, JavaScript and HTML/CSS were the most commonly used programming languages among software developers worldwide. More than 65% of survey respondents stated that they use JavaScript and only about 55% use HTML/CSS. Other popular programming languages are Python, SQL, and TypeScript which round out the top 5 most popular programming languages worldwide.
What Are The Weak Points Of PHP?
Though PHP won’t be dying anytime soon, it has some weak points, which is why developers are shifting toward other languages. Let us have a look at those weak points:
1. It does not support modern programming paradigms like object-oriented programming or exception handling.
2. The language also lacks several constructs in newer languages, such as try/catch blocks.
3. As time progresses, so do the requirements of new programming paradigms that PHP cannot keep up with.
4. PHP can also lag when loading dynamic content from external sources, leading to heavier code loading on web pages. However, there are workarounds for this problem by using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
5. Another weakness, according to experts, is that PHP may run out of memory due to its garbage collector algorithm, which can become problematic in high-load environments.
6. Easier for other programmers to read scripts, which saves time and money.
PHP Strengths
Programmers might shift towards other languages, but PHP still has its merits for certain tasks. Let’s have a look at the strengths of the language:
- One strength of PHP is that it can be used with any operating system that supports CGI scripts or mod_php.
- PHP development company in India has excellent expertise in front-end development with their proprietary frameworks such as Yii2 (MVC), Symfony (RESTful), Laravel (Microservices), and Zend Framework 2 (Eloquent).
- One more strength of the PHP language is it’s cheap to hire php development company in India.
- PHP allows for outsourcing, which may come in handy when you need to outsource a PHP development project overseas.
- This might seem a godsend for new programmers because PHP requires no specific coding knowledge and only some basic HTML knowledge.
- Finally, since the programming language itself doesn’t require much typing on your end, you will save a lot of time if you choose to work with an offshore PHP developer.
The Future Of Popular Scripting Language PHP
PHP is unquestionably one of the most popular web server scripting languages, the fifth most popular programming language in the world today. A PHP development company can create a strategic roadmap that considers your organization’s needs while hiring a software developer using recent trends and metrics. The goal should be to anticipate as much as possible without limiting potential prospects. Now might be the best time to invest in updating your company’s website to reflect these new standards.
Why Choose PHP For Web Development?
PHP was originally used for web development but has grown in other areas, such as desktop applications and games. These days, PHP is a server-side programming language and can be used for creating dynamic websites.
Moreover, it supports databases like MySQL, commonly used by CMSes like WordPress. It’s a fast language because PHP code is interpreted at run-time instead of being compiled into machine code before it’s executed. The other reasons for choosing PHP are:
- It has a shallow learning curve: The entire codebase is so simple that even newbies can easily understand and use it in their projects. And because of this ease of use, there are more opportunities for collaboration with other team members who may not know how to code!
- It is free to download and deploy: There are no hidden charges when using PHP for your site as long as you use a web hosting provider that supports it. You don’t have to pay anything or worry about restrictive licensing fees from commercial companies like Microsoft or Adobe.
- It works well with MySQL databases: As most sites rely heavily on databases, selecting an appropriate server-side scripting language can be challenging if you’re not sure which languages work best with different database systems.
- PHP is a good choice if you’re working on an eCommerce site because its frameworks help make things easier. One example would be Magento, which helps retailers manage orders, payments, products, and inventory.
This programming language has been around for decades, making it one of the oldest languages still widely used today. It has evolved over the years to fulfill new demands and technological changes, so it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, outsourcing a PHP development team can be an affordable option for startups looking to keep costs down.
Also Read: Top 21 PHP Web App Development Companies
Conclusion
PHP is one of the most famous programming languages used for developing websites and server-side applications; PHP continues to have a strong presence. It has been around for a long time and will be used in web development. There is still a large number of people who use PHP as an open-source platform. So, it won’t be outdated in 2023 or any other year.
Companies will continue to hire dedicated PHP developers and software developers for PHP, which doesn’t mean it will survive forever. However, many consider it unlikely that some different method will replace it anytime soon as we continue technological advances.
