PHP FAQ
What is PHP?
It is an open source server scripting language.
Why was PHP created?
To develop simple personal pages, and then full-fledged sites.
Versions of PHP
The first and second had the basic functionality of PHP. The third defined the shape of the language, it also introduced the possibility of extending the core, which brought PHP success. The fifth became famous due to the updated core and object-oriented model, the sixth did not come out, and the seventh is the fastest of the previous ones. The release of the eighth version in November 2020 was a long-awaited event for the entire PHP community.
At the moment, 2 versions of PHP are relevant – 7.4 and 8.0, version 7.3 is still in support mode, older versions are no longer supported. Version 7.4 will be up to date for about two more years, so you will have enough time to prepare for the transition to 8.0.
PHP Advantages
The advantages of PHP are interpretability, simple syntax, extensive ecosystem, low entry threshold.
What do they write in PHP?
PHP is used for writing dynamic pages, sessions and cookies, CMS and site engines, authorization and feedback forms, mini-modules, captcha, file managers and text editors.
Is PHP worth learning in 2022?
Definitely worth it. PHP is a popular, easy-to-learn backend language that opens up a lot of possibilities.
Whether web developers will massively switch to other technologies is an open question. Now, if you buy shared hosting, you immediately get a PHP interpreter, because everyone uses it. Other technologies like Python or Node.js are not, they need to be installed separately. But the web is not forever. Another 20 years, and the concept of a website may become obsolete, because people will be using apps and social networks.
But in the next 5-10 years, there will definitely be demand for PHP. So you can safely learn PHP and be sure that the acquired skills will come in handy, especially if you want to work with WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and other well-known content management systems. They are written in PHP, and so are all add-ons and add-ons.
If web development interests you, PHP is your option: working with PHP, you will learn more HTML and CSS and try your hand at object-oriented programming. And if you don’t want to be limited to web development, take a look at JavaScript or Python.
Future of PHP
There are dying languages like COBOL and FORTRAN. There are traditional languages that work, for example, C# and JavaScript. There are modern languages whose peak capabilities are yet to come – Kotlin, Crystal, Rust and Swift.
PHP is difficult to attribute to any particular type. It definitely does not die, and because of the constant improvement, its capabilities and functionality are only growing, which is why it will be popular over the next ten years. Even if it suddenly loses popularity for some reason, by that time it will have billions of lines of code that require maintenance
Labor market in 2020-2021 changed globally. If earlier the office was the main criterion for having a workplace, now, due to the global pandemic, even world-famous companies have begun to use remote work. This opens up a huge potential for beginner PHP developers.
What do you need to do to start learning PHP?
Learning the basic functions of the computer
The first thing to do is to learn the basic functions of the computer, learn how to use them. Download a couple of applications, learn how to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and others, reinstall the system, download an antivirus. All this will help you develop in the field of programming. It will help you understand the material better.
Installing required software
There are several ways to install it. You can install a special program that will install everything for you. Most often, these are ready-made IDEs with a server for testing and an interpreter. But, you can go the second way, install everything yourself and figure it out. The second way is considered the best, because thanks to it you will get more experience.
Finding sources of information
It can be in various forums, textbooks, websites and courses. Many choose special courses, because there you will work with a teacher who will not only give you excellent knowledge, but also answer all your questions, and help you better understand the material.