Addressing the ElePHPant in the Room as we talk PHP
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Originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994, PHP is a general-purpose programming language used primarily for web development, but its uses also expand far outside the web context into many programming tasks such as standalone graphical applications and robotic drone control.

As of January 2018, PHP made up over 83% of server side languages used on the internet, highly dominating content management systems such as WordPress.

PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor is an open source, server-side, scripting language. Like HTML, this means that code does not need to be compiled before it gets used. It uses lines of code to automate tasks allowing web developers to create dynamic content that interacts with databases on the fly.

PHP fits right inside a page’s HTML, and is similarly made up of plain text. The code is written in HTML and read as such, until the PHP code is inserted which is notated as start and end processing instructions using indicators <?php and ?> allowing users to jump into and out of “PHP mode.”

Some of the most important uses of PHP are to take info from web-based forms and use it in a million ways (store it in a database, create conditional pages depending on what the forms said, set cookies for later, send e-mail); authenticate and track users; run threaded discussions on your site; serve different pages to people using different browsers or devices; publish an entire website using just a single layout template (server-side includes-style); serve XML pages.

While there are many different frameworks to choose from, PHP frameworks offer many benefits. Speed PHP frameworks provide programmers with tools, features and code snippets that ensure quick response times and fast loading speeds. Another important aspect about PHP is that it acts as a cross-platform and can function across different platforms. This coding can be used on both website developments as well as in the mobile app development. PHP frameworks also increase database diversity using object-relational mapping to allow operations across different databases without the need for complicated SOL codes. Finally, PHP frameworks also support CMS development, allowing for better separation and presentation of digital data.

At VTRAC, we’re currently hiring PHP Developers for multiple projects. If you’re looking for the opportunity to join new and exciting project we’d love to hear from you. Learn more about this opportunity.