What can PHP do for my business?

Let's start at the beginning. If you're like most business leaders, you've probably wondered what PHP means. In short, the letters in PHP stand for “Personal Home Page” – but no one uses that terminology anymore. Instead, the three letters directly refer to its recursive backronym “PHP Hypertext Processor”, which also explains why it is defined as a scripting language. Let's delve deeper into what this means.

As a scripting language, PHP's goal is to improve the performance of web applications by performing routine tasks while embedded in a larger software environment. All of this happens on the server side of the application, while other things like JavaScript development services take care of client-side operations. Most often, PHP code is embedded in 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 this dynamic language brings to the table.

Calculations

Discovering mathematical equations is the bread and butter of PHP operations. From finding a random day on the calendar to solving high-level algebraic problems, mathematical functions have always been a central element of hypertext processing.

Data collection

PHP developers can give users the opportunity to directly interact with the script and leave some type of data that can be analyzed later. This process varies from simple conversion operations (such as translating Fahrenheit to Celsius) or interactive spaces for exchanging information (such as forums or surveys).

Interaction with database

PHP is particularly known for its ability to interact with MySQL databases. Many companies use this feature to create a strong relationship between information submitted by the user and information retrieved from the database. This is useful in web applications such as login systems, search features, and image gallery automation.

Graphic Generation

PHP comes bundled with the GD Library , which is capable of creating simple charts “on-the-fly” or editing existing ones. This means you can resize, route, color, 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 web application cookies. Cookies are an essential part of creating great user experiences. They are certainly not something you would want to remove from your priority list.

What is PHP used for?

PHP development companies and experts are in high demand due to the language's flexibility. It can be used to create web services, web applications, server-side code, real-time applications, databases, cybersecurity protocols, data analysis protocols, and much more. Facebook, WordPress, Yahoo, Wikipedia and many others use PHP on a daily basis to achieve all types of PHP development goals.

• Web services and applications

  Virtually every website out there uses PHP in one form or another. PHP backend development tools are not only capable of creating robust HTTP(S) based, machine-to-machine data exchange systems, but also improving the performance of cutting-edge front-end technologies such as machine learning and cloud computing.

• Server-side code

  PHP is by far the most used language for server-side development – ​​in fact, it was created specifically 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.

• Real-time applications

  From monitoring systems and intranets to chats and social networks, PHP is a great ally for developing real-time applications. Its local backend functionalities improve workflow automation and productivity.

• Databases

  PHP supports a very long list of database systems and makes it easy to implement safe SQL statements through prepared and escaped statements. For common scenarios, using a PDO extension allows you to build robust and secure SQL code.

• Security Solutions

  If you value software security, you're likely interested in implementing multi-step verification systems. PHP is the perfect solution for creating custom authentication processes for users, passwords and cookies, generating random tokens and storing them in a secure database.

• Data analysis

  Data-driven BI provides PHP developers with powerful tools for managing and monitoring information. Efficiently analyzed data encourages correct business decisions, increasing revenue and avoiding unnecessary costs.

Is PHP still relevant?

Yes! There is no doubt that PHP has risen to the highest level of software development. Yes, there are many other programming languages ​​that continue to stand out in the industry, but they don't take anything away from PHP. Right now, the world is going through a huge shift towards web technologies, and PHP will certainly be a big part of that.

If you liked this, be sure to check out our other PHP articles.

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• 8 facts about PHP – plus some fun information
• 4 flagship companies that use PHP
• A Better PHP Alternative for Web Projects?
• 7 Best PHP Tables and Charts Libraries