Let’s start at the beginning. If you’re like most business leaders, you’ve probably wondered what PHP stands for. Long story short, the letters in PHP stand for “Personal Home Page”—but nobody uses that terminology anymore. Instead, the three letters refer directly to its recursive backronym “PHP Hypertext Processor”, which also explains why it’s defined as a scripting language. Let’s dive deeper into what that means.
As a scripting language, the purpose of PHP is to enhance the performance of web applications by carrying out routine tasks while embedded into a larger software environment. All of this happens on the server-side of the app, while other things like JavaScript development services, take care of client-side operations. Most of the time, PHP code is embedded into HTML or used in combination with a CMS or web framework.
The language is also supported by all major operating systems, web servers, and database systems available today. This, along with its mixed architecture of procedural programming and object-oriented programming (OOP), gives PHP developers a lot of flexibility to develop powerful, creative, and innovative web applications.
What Does PHP Do?
Here are the most common types of operations that this dynamic language brings to the table.
Calculations
Figuring out mathematical equations is the bread and butter of PHP operations. From figuring out a random day in the calendar to solving high-level algebraic problems, math functions have always been a core element of hypertext processing.
Data Collection
PHP developers can give users the chance to interact directly with the script and leave some form of data that can be analyzed later. This process ranges from simple conversion operations (like translating Fahrenheit to Celsius) or interactive spaces for information exchange (like forums or surveys).
Database Interaction
PHP is particularly known for its ability to interact with MySQL databases. Many businesses use this feature to create a strong relationship between user-submitted information and the information retrieved from the database. This comes in handy in web apps like login systems, search features, and image gallery automation.
Graphic Generation
PHP comes bundled with the GD library, which is able to create simple “on-the-fly” graphics or edit existing ones. This means you’re able to resize, rote, colorize, and edit practical elements like user avatars, signatures, and CAPTCHA verification codes.
Cookie Management
Our favorite hypertext processor also lets you create, modify, retrieve, and delete cookies from web applications. Cookies are an essential part of creating great user experiences. They’re certainly not something you would want to take off the priority list.
What is PHP Used For?
PHP development companies and specialists are in high demand due to the flexibility of the language. It can be used to create web services, web applications, server-side code, real-time apps, databases, cybersecurity protocols, data analytics protocols, and much more. Facebook, WordPress, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and many others use PHP on a daily basis to achieve all sorts of PHP development goals.
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Web services and applications
Practically every website in existence uses PHP in some form or another. PHP backend development tools aren’t only able to create solid machine-to-machine, HTTP(S) based data exchange systems but also enhance the performance of cutting-edge front-end technology like machine learning and cloud computing.
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Server-Side Code
PHP is by far the most used language for server-side development—in fact, it was specifically created for this task. Its robust backends and strong business logic are perfect for web, mobile, IoT, and any application with a focus on system scalability.
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Real-time Apps
From monitoring systems and intranets to chats and social networks, PHP is a great ally for developing real-time applications. Its local backend functionalities enhance workflow automation and productivity.
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Databases
PHP supports a very long list of database systems and makes it easy to implement secure SQL statements through escaping and prepared statements. For common scenarios, using a PDO extension allows building robust and secure SQL code.
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Security Solutions
If you value software security, chances are you will be interested in implementing multiple-step verification systems. PHP is the perfect solution to create custom authentication processes for users, passwords, and cookies by generating random tokens and storing them on a secure database.
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Data analysis
Data-driven BI provides PHP developers with powerful tools for information management and monitoring. Efficiently analyzed data encourages the right business decisions, increasing revenue, and preventing unnecessary costs.
Is PHP Still Relevant?
Yes! There’s no doubt that PHP has climbed up to the top tier of software development. Yes, there are many other programming languages that continue to make a name for themselves in the industry, but they don’t take anything away from PHP. Right now, the world is going through a major shift towards web technologies, and PHP will certainly be a big part of it.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out our other PHP articles.
