7 Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP | Drawbacks & Benefits of PHP

Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a programming language which is used to build web based applications. This includes both interactive and dynamic websites. It defines a server scripting language. Which means that the applications directly run on the servers instead of web browsers. 

Social media giants like Facebook started adopting PHP language. Currently, other technologies such as Content Management System, Graphics Interface Design, Data analytics are powered by PHP. WordPress a widely used content management system is built using this language. 

Al though there are several reasons why PHP is the most preferred language, it aren't flawless. The popularity of PHP language is gradually reducing with the intention of other programming counterparts. Therefore, you must be aware of the pros and cons before start using PHP as a programming tool. 

In this article, you will be learning about 7 Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP | Drawbacks & Benefits of PHP.  From this post, you will know the pros and cons of using PHP.

Let's get started,

Advantages of PHP

1. Cost Effective

The open source nature of PHP made it entirely free and easily available to download. The language comes with several open source frameworks that the developers can choose from. So that the developers are not required to spend separately on a software. Once download it can run on almost all the operating systems. This further reduces the project development cost.

2. Learning Curve

Learning PHP is much simple process. Developers need not to have high programming skills to learn this language. Both the syntax used in C programming language and PHP is comparatively similar. If you know C programming language, you can get started with PHP since the concepts are almost the same.

3. Platform Support

PHP is designed to be platform independent. Thus, it is able to support most of the operating systems like Windows, MacOS, Linux and UNIX. There is no requirement for redevelopment in each platform. They can run on the same code base. This significantly saves time spend in development. 

4. Maintenance

Maintaining code structure in PHP is hassle free with few lines of code. Most of the PHP frameworks include a feature called Code generation. In this the codes are automatically generated while writing the initial lines. The entire concepts are described though few lines of code. This eventually helps to maintain the source code.

5. Documentation 

PHP is still in the development stage. So there can be various complexities, especially for a newbie developer. For encountering these difficult situations, the PHP community has presented with several tutorials and study materials. These documents make sure that the learning process is much easier.

6. Loading Speed

Compared to other programming languages, PHP offers considerably higher loading speed for webpages. In the case of many programming languages, it is not easy to connect to a database. Because it takes significant amount of time connecting to a database. 

The lightweight design of PHP makes site load lot faster. Even in situations of a bad internet connection. Currently, there are no other programming languages faster than PHP. 

7. Flexibility

PHP is flexible in many ways. For an example, flexibility of PHP allows it to combine with other programming languages offering extensive customization. Whether the project is under development or even completion, PHP provides the ability to make changes without hassle. 

The PHP supported applications are made to connect with this database quickly. PHP is compatible with other database management systems like MySQL, ODBC and dbase.

Disadvantages of PHP

1. Performance

Content based applications require you to add more features. Even though PHP supports multiple features, it cannot withstand all of them. When more features are added, it will definitely affect the site performance. For simple and small web applications you are not required to add these features. 

2. Security

Due to its open source nature, PHP allows anyone to view the source code making it vulnerable to cyber attacks. Mostly in the form of source code injection and session hacking. People with malicious intents can access the ASCII text files. The responsibility lies in the development team to constantly monitor those threats before they cause some serious damages. 

3. Technical Expertise

Many developers consider other programming languages over PHP due to its popularity. More than PHP there are several other simple and easy to learn programming languages. 

Even though PHP is still in the market, it has lost its competition in the recent years. Its popularity is declining gradually. Often, this has paved the way for developers to lose interest in PHP. Nowadays, it is not easy to find developers who are expert in PHP.

4. Troubleshooting Errors

Error identification is essential for the proper functioning of an application. Most often when developers write code, it is normal for them to make mistakes. PHP lacks the ability to handle errors without sufficient debugging tools. If the final work is published with these unidentified errors, it will result in the failure of the application.

5. Complexity

PHP is a low level language. It cannot be used to build web applications which requires complex coding. Despite if the applications are created, you will face difficulties in maintaining the code. 

6. Customization

In PHP, the developers are not allowed to make changes to the core behavior. The developers are only provided with the basic structure for web development. This is problematic for frameworks that needs a dedicated web development approach.

7. Library Support

Even though PHP framework comes with libraries, it is still behind Python's exclusive libraries. Libraries such as Theano, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn and Keras provide far more effectiveness in terms of machine learning as compared to PHP libraries. Thus, it is not recommended for business that quickly scales up or ML functionality applications.