What Is PHP & What Are the Advantages of Using It?

One of the most popular server side scripting languages, PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is immensely useful to build web applications as well as websites. Created by Rasmus Laird in 1994, PHP was extensively used around the turn of the millennium. Its popularity soared to dizzying heights and was the technology behind more than a quarter of a billion websites around the world. 

 

Being a server side language, applications built on PHP run on web servers without depending on web browsers. Typically, web pages are designed using HTML, while the code is run on the browser. PHP on the other hand executes code on the server before it even gets to the web browser of the user. 

 

In recent years, PHP has fast become a popular tool to build web solutions as it offers ease of development and can be integrated with multiple tools to improve development results. It is the fifth most popular coding language in the world.

 

PHP code can be embedded in HTML and is ideal when developers want to build dynamic web pages, web applications and e-commerce solutions. It also has implications in database structures and can be easily integrated with MySQL, Oracle and other databases.

 

Some of the most important advantages of PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) are:

 

Compatible with HTML

PHP enables HTML programming, which leads to a deeply syncretic programming experience when these two languages are used in tandem. PHP code does not interfere with HTMLand complements it while remaining confined to <?php ?> tags. Even pages that have been built on PHP can easily assimilate HTML code and this can be done just by using PHP tags before HTML tags. 

 

Cross-platform Performance 

PHP is highly versatile and its code performs admirably on several platforms. Developers can build solutions without worrying about operating systems that their applications will run on and this gives them unparalleled freedom. Developers can also find PHP hosting service providers easily to host their solutions. 

 

Speed 

A very important aspect for any language is how quick deployment of the code package and its performance in real-world scenarios. End users are highly discouraged even with a slightly slow loading web page and this is where speed becomes very critical. A slow loading page may lead to loss of traffic and in turn loss of revenue. PHP delivers in this respect with its quick loading and fast performance.

 

Stable Open-Source Platform

PHP has a thriving community with developers who contribute regularly and help maintain this open-source platform. PHP has a variety of functional modules that bolster graphics and PDF performance among others. The active community steadfastly addresses bugs and provides fixes regularly along with latest releases for smooth operations.

 

Cloud Service Compatibility

Cloud solutions are fast becoming the order of the day with many mobile as well as web products preferring to be hosted on cloud platforms for easy accessibility. PHP applications are compatible with multiple cloud services such as AWS and Azure. This makes it easy to scale products as well as streamline maintenance efforts.

 

Appropriate with multiple Server Solutions

Although MySQL is the most widely used database structure with PHP, it can easily sync with several database solutions. MySQL, being another open-source solution, is popular among the developer community, but there are other versatile options such as SQLite, MS-SQL, PostgreSQL, etc. It can also be deployed in tandem with ElasticSearch, Redis, MongoDB, and similar non-relational databases. This provides developers with multiple options which can be used after considering several criteria.

 

Our PHP web development services combine the best aspects of this versatile language to build world class business solutions. As a PHP development company with more than a decade of committed experience, our team is equipped to build exceptional products across industries.

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