PHP

PHP is an open-source, server-side programming language that can be used to create websites, applications, customer relationship management systems and more. It is a widely-used general-purpose language that can be embedded into HTML.

This functionality with HTML means that the PHP language has remained popular with developers as it helps to simplify HTML code.

PHP programming can be used to create most things that a software developer needs. However, there are three main areas in which it thrives.

  1. Server-side scripting - Server-side Script is PHP’s main strength. If you are just learning to code and want to explore server-side scripting, PHP is a great language to learn. To get cracking with PHP server-side scripting you’ll need to have a PHP parser, web server and web browser.
  2. Command-line scripting - Command-line scripting is ideal for scripts made using cron (Linux) or Task Scheduler (Windows). It is also great for simple text processing.
  3. Writing desktop applications - PHP is probably not the best language to use to create desktop applications but for the advanced web developer, it provides you with many more options than its competitors.

Of course, PHP can do many other things. For example, it is excellent at collecting form data, encrypting user data and sending and receiving cookies. One of the major features of PHP that makes it so usable is that it is compatible with all major operating systems so you can code no matter what tech you are using.