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August 10th, 2021

Why Is PHP So Popular?

Why Is PHP So Popular?

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Introduction

Have you ever wondered about how developers create websites with attractive UI and how they effectively manage the user’s data? That’s the power of PHP.

PHP is popular among developers, and it is used to manage databases, dynamic content, session tracking, and even build eCommerce websites. The best thing about PHP is that it integrates with several prominent databases such as MySQL, Sybase, Informix, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server.

Most people think that PHP is dead – but this is not the case. According to W3Techs, PHP is used by 78.9% of all websites with a known server-side programming language. 7 out of 10 websites that you visit are built using PHP in some way.

The above stats contradict this statement – ‘PHP is dead.’ PHP is not going to be outdated anytime soon. PHP’s integrity makes its future bright because other languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, etc., are much more complex than PHP.

Why Do Web Developers Love PHP?

When PHP was launched years ago, it was just a simple scripting language without any framework. But when it is updated with time, developers found several amazing features and developed tons of PHP frameworks. Today, you can easily create a business website, eCommerce website, blog, or any type of website with advanced security using PHP.

PHP offers several frameworks. But, if you are working with a framework like CodeIgniter, you have to design your website for the web client-side. In that case, you can use HTML5, CSS3, or bootstrap framework or JavaScript to make it easy. This helps developers to design a website easily, even if they have no experience.

PHP Is User-Friendly

As we have mentioned above, PHP is one of the most preferred web development languages by web application developers. With PHP, writing a code is like writing an article in English.

It’s a simple 3 step process:

  • Code
  • Upload
  • Watch

If you compare PHP with other languages such as Python, Java, or JavaScript, you would not need to compile PHP. You just need to write the code, upload it to the server, and the outcomes will be visible on your browser.

PHP Has Vast Standard Library Collection

A language’s library is a key that makes it different from others. Libraries are a pre-coded set of instructions that enhance the communication between platforms and facilitate the execution process.

The PHP libraries allow it to work with higher productivity. PHP libraries allow the websites to load quickly, resulting in enhancing the user experience. Web developers prefer PHP over any other programming language to make the website load quickly to minimize the website’s bounce rate.

PHP Works Perfect With CMS

We live in a modern world full of technologies, and PHP has made CMS customization a crucial competitive need for organizations.

Adaptive content is personalized content for website visitors to create a tremendous experience. This can only be possible if the website’s code is integrated with the CMS like WordPress, Joomla, etc. PHP is the key to make a website attractive for users and meet their requirements.

PHP Is Flexible

PHP is powerful, and the outcomes it offers might not be experienced with any other programming language. With PHP, you can meet almost all programming requirements.

PHP is a cross-platform language – which means that developers can use it on any operating system such as Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. The flexibility PHP offers to ease the development process by making it faster and cost-effective.

Embedded With HTML

PHP can be embedded with HTML, which aids the relationship between these two technologies. In most cases, a PHP script doesn’t interfere with the HTML code, instead it completes it while remaining inside the borders as <?php ?>tags.

When you have created a web page using PHP, you can combine an HTML code using PHP scripts. In such cases, the difference from a conventional HTML page would be in the reverse order of opening tags: the PHP tags would affect the HTML tags.

PHP Improves Website’s Load Speed

A website load speed plays a crucial role in SEO, which helps rank the website on search engines. PHP makes websites fast as compared to other programming languages. For example, PHP is about four times better than Java and Python.

A quick loading website can enhance customer satisfaction and helps build and retain the client base.

Cost-Effective Open-Source Software

PHP is free – and its open-source software can also be used free of charge. As a result, they reduce the project cost. Additionally, several frameworks such as CodeIgniter, Laravel, and various CMS such as WordPress and Drupal extend PHP’s functionality and make the development process easier.

Less Expensive Internet Hosting

Most new companies have a tight budget, and they can’t afford to invest in website development and maintenance. As PHP is an open-source platform, hosting a website becomes inexpensive. Almost all web servers can host PHP websites. Additionally, with the scripts being active and fast-acting, maintenance costs can be dropped as well.

Should You Use PHP In 2021?

According to the above-mentioned reasons, PHP is still the best web development language, and it is not going anywhere soon. Other programming languages such as Python, Java, Ruby, etc., may not offer PHP’s benefits.

While PHP is continually improving, some updates are unimportant and usually introduce incremental modifications. However, other updates can do wonders for your application.

When it comes to its usage in 2021, PHP is convenient and easy to learn. Some might consider PHP as outdated, but it will remain at the top above all.

Summing Up

PHP is simple and easy to learn. Compared to other programming languages, PHP is much easier to implement, and it also has set new standards regarding the ease and performance of the application.

There are infinite possibilities and opportunities to grow with this powerful programming language at your disposal.

Author image

Rahul

Founder & CEO, Intervue

Rahul Arora is the CEO of Intervue, a platform dedicated to streamlining technical hiring. Rahul leads with a vision to change how the world interviews forever, create efficient, unbiased, and scalable hiring solutions that empower teams to build the best talent pools.

Your hiring needs to get stronger

Stay updated with our latest blog posts

Author image

Rahul

Founder & CEO, Intervue

Rahul Arora is the CEO of Intervue, a platform dedicated to streamlining technical hiring. Rahul leads with a vision to change how the world interviews forever, create efficient, unbiased, and scalable hiring solutions that empower teams to build the best talent pools.