What Is PHP For Web Development & Why Should You Use It?
Tags: php, webdev, website
Published: 2024-01-09 10:26:08

If you have been in the web development industry or own a business and are looking to create a website, you have surely heard about PHP; and, if you are wondering whether PHP is the best choice for your tech stack or not, you will be glad to know that more than 75% of websites have been developed using PHP. But, why is PHP so popular, and will it aid you in the complete web development process? Well, PHP plays a key role in web development and aids companies in the quick and seamless development of complex web pages. To help you determine whether PHP is the perfect development tool for your website or not, we have curated this article on the [role of PHP in web development](https://www.cmarix.com/php-development.html). So, let us jump right into it and start discussing whether PHP would aid in efficient web development or not!

## What is PHP and what tools does it use to aid in quicker development?

Similar to other programming languages, PHP is used for the development of websites; but, the reason why it is so popular is that it allows server-side scripting, which means that you do not need to worry about how your PHP code is compiled. Another great advantage is that once your PHP code is compiled, it is sent to the server and rendered as plain HTML; so, why should you use it instead of simple HTML, which is undoubtedly easier to code in?

Well, you can think of PHP as a simple language and tool that allows developers to connect their database for easy and seamless information retrieval; and, this same information is sent to the webserver to be rendered. So, PHP reduces the overall development time and also helps in the quick rendering of web pages!

**Some tools that PHP uses to enhance your coding process and help you in development include:-**

To help with debugging purposes - 

- Xdebug
- Webgrind
- PHP_Debug
- DBG
- MacGDBp

To help you test and optimize your code -

- dBug
- Selenium
- SimpleTest
- PHPUnit
- PHP profile class

Tools that help you add and manage application security - 

- Scavenger
- Securimage
- PHP-IDS
- Pixy which is PHP’s security scanner

Tools that offer utilities and classes - 

- HTML Purifier
- htmlSQL
- PHPLinq
- SimplePie

## What is the difference between PHP web request cycle and normal ones?

To better understand the role of PHP in web development, we must talk about the differences between PHP’s web request cycle and that in normal ones.

### A brief on normal web request cycles

Generally, when you request an HTML page, the browser locates the file and sends it as a response to the server; then, this is provided as a response to you. If you are a web developer or quite technically sound, you surely know about the complete HTML request and response cycle.

### A brief on PHP’s web request cycles

In the case of a PHP website, when you request a webpage, the request is sent to the PHP engine which then sends it back as the server’s output. Then, the response is sent to the client, which is a great way to render a website's content.

### What is the difference between PHP’s web request cycle and typical web request cycles?

In the case of the PHP web request cycle, a .PHP file is rendered in place of a .html file; and, the .php file is dynamic, unlike the static nature of the HTML file. So, the final website content that is rendered is based on the state of your browser and other conditions; another advantage is that the PHP engine and PHP interpreter only process content that is tagged between the PHP tag.

If you are not aware of PHP or are not a web developer, we recommend you [hire dedicated web developers](https://www.cmarix.com/hire-web-developers.html) who know how to develop functional websites using PHP. This will help bring your application dreams into reality quite quickly; and, will ensure that there are no errors in your app’s code.

### What is the role of PHP in web development and why is it a top language choice for developers?

The role of PHP in web development is quite crucial, but why is it a top language choice? When you hire dedicated web developers and share your project requirements, you will see that most of them choose PHP for their development needs. Some top PHP features that make it a highly preferred development language (according to the top PHP web development company in India and abroad) include:-

- PHP has a simple syntax which makes it quite easier to learn compared to traditional languages like Java and C.

- The language is open-source, which makes it completely free (reducing your development costs) and ensures that you can complete your app development needs in a cost-effective way.

- Since PHP is capable of running on all major operating systems, you can simply develop your multi-platform application in one go.

- If you are looking to develop a website that you want to deploy for your users, PHP is the best language you can opt for; this is because numerous hosting companies offer servers that allow seamless hosting.

## Conclusion

Now that we have discussed the role of PHP in web development, we hope it is clear how the language can speed up your development process. We recommend you partner with a professional PHP web development company in India and abroad for quicker and seamless development!