PHP Advantages and Disadvantages: Before we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of PHP, it is crucial to know the meaning of PHP. The short form, PHP, stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and denotes a side scripting language of a server. It suggests that the applications that have this scripting language run on web servers and do not depend on online browsers. PHP language is analogous to C language, and Rasmus Lerdorf created it in 1995.
What is PHP? Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP 2021
People nowadays widely utilize the PHP language to create and develop web applications. It now has become one of the main languages for developers while creating a new application. Leading sites such as Facebook the Harvard University both use the PHP language, and they have made it more popular and credible. Its usage has evolved drastically over the years, and now people use it as a simple programming tool to develop web servers. It is plenty of virtues or advantages and a few disadvantages. Let us look at them systematically.
- Advantages of PHP
- Disadvantages of PHP
- Comparison Table for Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP
- FAQs on Pros and Cons of PHP for Students
Advantages of PHP
Some of the most important advantages of PHP are the following points. Let us review them.
- Open Source and Free of Cost: One of the most vital advantages of PHP is that it is accessible to all. People can download it from an open-source and get it for free. One can download it anywhere and readily use it for web application development.
- Platform Independence: Another important factor is that since PHP-based applications can run on any OS such as UNIX, Windows, Linux, etc., people can use it without worrying about a platform where one can use it.
- Easy loading: One can load the PHP-based applications easily and connect them to a database. People mainly use it since it has a fast rate of loading even if it is over a slow internet connection and speed than other programming languages.
- User-friendly: It has a less learning curve, and one can learn it quickly. The language is straightforward to use, and if one knows about C programming, they can catch on to PHP language quickly for application development.
- Stable: Unlike other scripting languages, PHP is very stable over the years and can provide one with assistance and continuous support. They can get help over various versions as well.
- No lengthy code required: As we mentioned earlier, it is a simple language that people can utilize for various purposes. It has such a quality that one can use it without having to write lengthy codes and sophisticated structures for any web application event.
- Flexible: It is highly flexible, and people can readily use it to combine its function with various other programming languages. They can use the software packages as the foremost effective technology for every feature.
- Increased Job opportunity: Since PHP is very popular, many developers and developing communities have evolved who have knowledge of this language. People who know the simple language can become potential candidates for jobs.
- Database connection: It has a built-in database connection that helps to connect databases and reduce the trouble and the time to develop web applications or content-based sites altogether.
- Library support: PHP has strong library support using which one can utilize the various function modules for data representation.
Disadvantages of PHP
Though PHP is a fantastic programming language, there are some disadvantages to it. Let us look at them strategically.
- Security issues: Since PHP is open-source, it is not secure. The ASCII text file is easily available, and anyone can look it up.
- Not suitable for giant web application development: If one wants to develop a giant content-based web application, it is not possible to do it with the help of PHP. They would have to use other programming languages.
- Weak: PHP is weak and sometimes can cause errors. It can cause incorrect data and knowledge to be available for users.
- Extra learning: One needs to know about the PHP framework to use the built-in PHP functionalities. If one does not know about it, they will be forced to write additional codes.
- Doesn’t allow change or modification: It is not possible to modify or change the core behaviour of the online applications since PHP does not allow it.
- Poor framework: PHP frameworks are not equivalent in behaviour in comparison to other such languages. Hence, its performance and features can suffer.
- Poor performance: PHP cannot support the usage of many features at a time. Using more features from the PHP framework or tools can result in poor performance while developing online applications.
- Presence of simpler programming languages: Though PHP is a powerful programming language, there are plenty of other languages supported by an outsized community and reference documentation that are easier to handle for web applications.
- Handling errors: Many have seen that PHP features are prone to handling errors due to the lack of debugging tools and error warnings.
Comparison Table for Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Open source and free of cost | Unsafe to use and handle since it has an open-source accessible to all |
| It can run on various OS | Not for running giant applications |
| Loading applications is straightforward since it can load over slow internet | Weak and causes input of incorrect data |
| Easy to learn and use | One needs to learn built-in functionalities to avoid writing excess codes |
| Good support and assistance | Using many features can cause poor performance |
| Helps to manage codes easily | Does not allow modification of online applications |
| Powerful library support | Not equivalent in performance to others |
| Build-in database connection helps to connect databases | Tough to manage and incompetent |
| Popular and credible | Prone to handling errors |
| Flexible and effective | Difficult to handle |
Analyzing more topics through learning their advantages and disadvantages is a great way to obtain knowledge. Hence, knowing about more topics such as this will help to obtain general awareness for international competitive exams in lesser time.
FAQ’s on Pros and Cons of PHP for Students
Question 1.
Where can a person use the PHP language?
Answer:
People around the world are using PHP to develop web and other applications, and the technology that PHP applications support are as follows.
- Content management system
- Web-based development of applications and sites
- E-commerce websites and applications
- Data analysis and representation
- Image processing
- Applications based on graphical interface design
- Flash features development
Question 2.
Why is PHP so popular?
Answer:
Many large associations such as WordPress and Facebook use it, and it has given rise to numerous communities of developers. People who are specialists in using PHP are in high demand for jobs. Besides, there are plenty of manuals, tutorials, etc., available which one can use to learn how to use it.
Question 3.
Does PHP have a dedicated library for learning needs?
Answer:
More and more people are using machines to learn nowadays. Though PHP has a set of libraries, Python has a better and competing set which one can use to develop applications. Besides, Python has effective alternatives to some functionalities, which make it more graspable.