Is PHP Still Useful for Website Development In 2022?

When selecting a programming language, it can be tough to get started. Of course, there are so many programming languages including PHP out there that they become hard to differentiate.

Ideally, you should pick a programming language with a strong user base and community support. PHP aka the Hypertext Preprocessor language is one of the best ones that fit that description.

But wait, most people recommend javascript or python. So why am I recommending PHP as a first language?

This post is here to provide you with an answer.

Advantages of using PHP

PHP is a popular language with a user base that spans the internet. Statistically, 78% of the websites that live on the internet are built with PHP code.

There are tons of reasons you should be using PHP. Chief amongst them being:

1.  Its open-source nature

You can use PHP and download its components for free. The open-source nature of PHP, while making it prone to certain security issues, makes it one of the ideal languages for web development. Another benefit of PHP is that you get regular updates to the codebase, frameworks, and security protocols. The community gives back as much as it takes from the language.

2.  Speed

When deploying with PHP, you don't have to worry about load speeds since php leverages its memory. The processing speed helps both developers and clients get the most out of their projects.

3.  Reliability

In point number 1, I said that PHP has certain security issues because it's open source. I won't deny that, but if you look at the user base and community, you would know that such security issues are hardly a smudge in the community. In addition, whenever such a problem does occur, the open-source PHP community comes together with a security update on the fly.

4. Pricing

There is no such thing as cost in developing PHP software. There are no extra licensing costs. This directly results in low architecture investments and reduces the development costs significantly.

5. Customizations

PHP is one of the best tools to have when it comes to developing websites. Unlike other website builders, those built with PHP do not restrict your creativity, allowing you to build custom websites that match the client’s branding.

Why PHP is useful for web development in 2022

1.  PHP is ideal

One of the best things about PHP is that it allows you to build just about anything.

It's lightweight and gives you the creative freedom to develop customized websites in a short amount of time.

Also, its codebase has frameworks like Codeigniter, Symfony, and Yii that help streamline the development process even quicker. If you're a standalone entrepreneur, you can also use PHP in the form of WordPress CMS, which allows you to build websites without knowing how to code.

For its part, WordPress is a website that also powers up a significant portion of the internet. For devs and newbies, we recommend PHP because of WordPress's versatility as a content management system. 

Regardless of whether you want to build a B2C or B2B ecommerce store on WooCommerce, you will find a solution on WordPress for that. It’s a powerful platform because it's built on WordPress, which is built on PHP.

2. PHP keeps improving

As the years go by, most programming languages lose their quality or their frameworks get outdated. PHP doesn’t have any of that.

With regular updates to its codebase and new innovative frameworks like Yii, It doesn't let its users stay dormant. There is always something new to try out.

You can build just about anything ranging from simple websites with WordPress to full-fledged games. For both commercial and general-purpose, it is an ideal powerhouse of development due to its community support and general-purpose nature.

You could say as the years progress, This language is becoming more and more efficient with improvements in syntax and rapid onboarding for users.

3. PHP is efficient

The influence cannot be disregarded. Its speed alone improves the site deployment time by 25% which is a lot when compared with other languages. 

This means that you'll be spending less time scratching your head looking for answers and more time writing code and developing the website.

The primary advantage of this speed is that when your website goes to market quickly, the faster you can get started with your operations.

The market is in continuous motion, and if you don’t work faster, other businesses are going to take over. When you select this as your preferred programming language, you can get ahead of the competition quickly and effectively.

4. Devs are easy to come by

The thing with PHP devs is that they're priced lower than python developers. The reason for this is basic economics: there are many PHP developers as compared to Python or C# developers.

This directly leads to more competition which means developers compete for prices. However, you can also compete on quality if you so desire.

Lastly, PHP developers are generally considered full-stack developers since they understand both the front-end and the back-end of the website. There's a lot of versatility you get when you hire a PHP developer.

If You are looking for individual or corporate training for the latest version of PHP then Let's Know More!