PHP is Still Alive: How it's Evolving in Modern-Day Application

The landscape of programming languages is in constant flux. One aspect of it that remains unchanged, however, is the continued relevance of PHP as the programming language of choice for most developers. Even now, it sustains its position as a programming language that will continue to shape the internet for some time. Despite continued claims of its extinction, PHP in 2024 is not only alive but thriving, especially as we head into 2024. Developers who swore by supposedly better alternatives are now back using PHP. An easy-to-use interface, rapid prototyping and development, and cost-friendliness are said to be some of the reasons why PHP has become the modern developer’s darling. With this in mind, we’ll trace the trajectory of PHP’s evolution, assess its current relevance, and try to see what the future holds for PHP development.

PHP in 2024: Why Developers Are Taking a Second Look

The story of PHP is one of bouncebackability. Taking a close look in, it's clear that this programming language has come a long way and is marked by so many significant transformations. Once widely criticized for its performance and security vulnerabilities, PHP has made substantial strides with the introduction of PHP 7 and 8. These versions have brought about dramatic performance enhancements, making PHP one of the fastest scripting languages available. In fact, benchmarks show that PHP 8.2 is nearly three times faster than its predecessor, PHP 5.x. And it doesn’t so there. PHP has evolved so much so that it integrates seamlessly with modern technologies like cloud computing and serverless architectures. As you may imagine, developers are increasingly adopting PHP for cloud-native applications, taking advantage of its compatibility with popular frameworks like Laravel Lumen and Symfony (for API development), Microservices architectures (for Microservices) and platforms like Bref (for serverless applications) This versatility across modern web development stacks not only shows PHP's resilience but its ability to meet the demands of contemporary web development.

Is PHP still alive? What the numbers say

If one were to ask the question "Is PHP still alive?" the answer should be resounding “yes!”. This study from W3tech claims PHP commands a remarkable market share of approximately 75.8% among server-side scripting languages as of September 2024. We can attribute this dominance to its widespread adoption in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, which powers a large part of the web. The same is true of Wikipedia and Facebook. At the same time, PHP remains the seventh most used programming language on GitHub, which signals a vibrant community actively engaging with the language. The ongoing development and support from this community ensure that PHP continues to evolve and adapt to new challenges.

The Evolution of PHP: Key Features and Trends

Since its initial release in 1990 as an open-source programming language, PHP has grown by leaps and bounds. The evolution of PHP includes numerous advanced features that keep it competitive. Here are some of the key enhancements:

• Just-In-Time (JIT) Compilation: Introduced in PHP 8, JIT compilation compiles code into machine language at runtime, optimizing execution and improving performance, especially in high-load environments.
• Union Types and Named Arguments: These features align PHP more closely with strongly-typed languages like Java or C#, allowing for cleaner, more efficient code.
• Attributes (Annotations): This addition enables developers to add metadata to classes and methods, improving the functionality of frameworks like Laravel and Symfony.

Emerging trends in PHP include:

• Cloud-Native Development: PHP’s compatibility with AWS Lambda and similar platforms allows developers to create scalable, serverless applications.
• Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): PHP plays a crucial role in managing server-side logic for PWAs, delivering app-like experiences within browsers.
• AI/ML Integration: The rise of AI and machine learning has made PHP libraries like PHP-ML popular, enabling developers to build applications with intelligent, adaptive features.

CMS Solutions on PHP: Laravel, WordPress, and Beyond

PHP remains the backbone of several popular content management systems, each offering unique features that cater to different types of web projects:

Laravel

Laravel is a robust PHP framework that focuses on elegance, simplicity, and developer productivity. Known for its clean syntax and built-in tools, Laravel is widely used for complex web applications and enterprise-grade CMS solutions. Key features include:

• Blade Templating Engine: Laravel’s templating engine, Blade, simplifies the creation of complex views.
• Eloquent ORM: This object-relational mapper simplifies database management, making it easy to interact with databases.
• Modular Structure: Laravel offers a modular structure, allowing developers to build scalable and maintainable applications.