Chapter 1: Encountering a PHP Developer's Perspective

Recently, I had a conversation with a PHP developer who earns significantly more than I do, which naturally stirred some envy. I decided to probe into his insights on transitioning from frontend to backend development. Surprisingly, he advised against switching to PHP for several reasons.

PHP is often viewed unfavorably by those who have had negative encounters with its earlier iterations. While it may allow for rapid development of simple websites, maintaining, evolving, and securing them can be quite challenging.

Despite being one of the oldest languages used on the web, PHP is not recognized for its speed or elegance, which has contributed to its declining popularity. As the industry shifts towards client-side development in JavaScript, PHP's relevance for server-side operations has diminished.

Originally, PHP was created by an individual looking for a quick solution, which accounts for its relatively straightforward syntax that appeals to newcomers. However, its historical lack of backward compatibility, especially between 2005 and 2015, often resulted in significant code rewrites during version upgrades, potentially exposing users to security vulnerabilities.

PHP is a language that lacks a cohesive design, having started as a collection of macros. It has since evolved into a meta-procedural HTML language that incorporates functional and object-oriented programming. However, the mixing of PHP code with HTML has become increasingly complex as websites have grown more sophisticated. While it was manageable in PHP's heyday, today’s developers require substantial experience to navigate this complexity effectively.

Despite PHP's status as one of the pioneering languages for backend web development, its early flaws, including awkward syntax, security vulnerabilities, and performance issues for large applications, have marred its reputation. Although modern PHP has addressed many of these concerns, the stigma remains. With numerous alternatives available, developers who faced challenges with PHP often seek out more favorable languages.

Section 1.1: The Evolution of PHP

Subsection 1.1.1: Comparisons with Modern Alternatives

As the programming landscape evolves, PHP is not alone in facing competition. Developers now have a wealth of options to choose from, which has further influenced perceptions of PHP as a backend language.

Chapter 2: Insights from Industry Videos

To further explore the perspectives on PHP, consider the following videos that delve into current trends and experiences in the field.

The first video titled Interview with Senior PHP Developer provides insights into the experiences of a seasoned PHP developer, discussing both the benefits and drawbacks of using PHP in contemporary projects.

Additionally, the video Is PHP Dying in 2024? examines whether PHP remains relevant in today's programming landscape and what the future holds for this long-standing language.