Head Ads

PHP Programming Language | Features of PHP programming language

Share:

 

PHP Programming Language | Features of PHP programming language

PHP programming language
PHP programming language


Introduction to PHP Programming Language

PHP is a server-side code general-purpose programming language originally designed for dynamic content web development. It was one of the first server-side programming languages ​​that could be embedded directly into the HTML document instead of calling an external file to process the data. The code is interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module that generates the resulting web page. PHP has evolved so now it also includes a command-line interface that can be used in standalone graphical applications. It can be used on most web servers as well as almost all operating systems and platforms at no cost.

PHP is considered one of the most flexible, powerful, and high-performance languages ​​known to this day, which has attracted the interest of multiple sites with high traffic demand, such as Facebook, to opt for the same as a server technology.

Who created PHP Programming Language? 

History of programming language PHP  was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995. Currently, the language continues to be developed with new functions by the PHP group.1 This language is part of the free software released under the PHP license, which is incompatible with the GNU General Public License due to the restrictions on the use of the term PHP.

Features of PHP programming language

Characteristics

  1. Oriented to the development of dynamic web applications with access to information stored in a database.
  2. It is considered an easy language to learn since in its development different specifications were simplified, as is the case of the definition of primitive variables, an example that becomes evident in the use of PHP arrays.
  3. The source code written in PHP programming language is invisible to the web browser and the client since it is the server that is responsible for executing the code and sending its HTML result to the browser.
  4. Ability to connect with most of the database engines that are used today, highlights its connectivity with MySQL and PostgreSQL.
  5. Ability to expand its potential using modules (called ext's or extensions).
  6. It has extensive documentation on its official website, among which it stands out that all the system functions are explained and exemplified in a single help file.
  7. It is free, so it is presented as an easily accessible alternative for everyone.
  8. It allows applying object-oriented programming techniques.
  9. It does not require the definition of variable types although its variables can also be evaluated by the type they are handling at runtime.
  10. It has exception handling (since PHP5).
  11. Although PHP does not force its user to follow a certain methodology when programming, even when doing so, the programmer can apply any programming or development technique to his work that allows him to write orderly, structured, and manageable code. An example of this is the developments that have been made in PHP of the Model View Controller (MVC) design pattern, which allow separating the treatment and access to data, the control logic, and the user interfaces into three independent components.
  12. Due to its flexibility, it has been widely accepted as the base language for WEB content management applications, and it is its main use.

Drawbacks of PHP programing language 

  1. As it is a language that is interpreted in execution, for certain uses it can be inconvenient that the source code cannot be hidden. Obfuscation is a technique that can make code difficult to read but does not necessarily prevent code from being examined.
  2. Because it is an interpreted language, a PHP script usually works considerably slower than its equivalent in a low-level language, however, this inconvenience can be minimized with both file and memory caching techniques.
  3. Inversions prior to 7, the variables are not typed, which makes it difficult for the different IDEs to offer assistance for typing the code, although this is not really a drawback of the language itself. This is solved by some IDEs by adding a comment with the type to the declaration of the variable.

Also read this related article:  What is computer programming? 


No comments

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.