Is PHP a Dead Language? Statistics say otherwise
PHP is a popular programming language that is used by many companies and a broad number of developers. However, some people believe that it is a dead language. This article will explore the reasons behind this belief and determine whether or not PHP is truly a dead language.
Why is PHP so popular?
PHP is a popular language because it is versatile and easy to learn, making it a good choice for web development. Additionally, PHP is widely used in the web hosting and e-commerce industries, making it a popular choice for web developers and website owners.
PHP is a language that is widely used. According to a report by W3, over 78.9% of websites with a server-side language use PHP.
PHP is currently the 12th most popular programming language, as ranked by TIOBE. This ranking is down from third place back in 2001, but PHP has remained in the top 20 for the past 17 years.
According to Statista, 21.98% of developers use PHP. This places it just under C++ on the list of the most used programming languages among developers.
Who Uses PHP? Companies that still use PHP
PHP is still in use by many companies, even though it may not be the most popular language on the internet. Some of these companies include Wikipedia, Facebook, WordPress, Shopify, and Reddit. PHP is still a viable language, and there are many developers who still use it.
Here are a few big companies that still use PHP
1. Facebook uses PHP
Facebook has long been a powerhouse in the online world. It's used by millions of people every day to connect with friends and family, share news and ideas, and learn about the world. But what's with PHP?
Despite its popularity, Facebook hasn't been using PHP for years. In fact, as of 2018, Facebook only uses PHP for a small part of its web infrastructure. However, even though Facebook no longer uses PHP as its main programming language, it's still a popular choice for web developers.
2. Wikipedia uses PHP
Wikipedia is powered by a framework called WIKIMEDIA which is built by core PHP developers. This means that Wikipedia is still using PHP, even though it's not the most popular language on the internet.
3. Shopify uses PHP
Shopify is a leading eCommerce platform that helps businesses of all sizes sell online. It's used by millions of people around the world, and it's one of the most popular choices for web developers.
4. Slack uses PHP for
Slack is a messaging platform used by businesses of all sizes. In addition to its traditional messaging features, Slack also integrates with various third-party applications, including Php. According to a study by Stack Overflow, nearly 60% of Slack's users use Php to perform tasks like managing servers, monitoring applications, and more. This indicates that PHP is still an important language for use in the world of Slack.
What are some reasons people say that PHP is no longer a popular choice for web development?
There are a few reasons why people might say that PHP is no longer a popular choice for web development. Finally, PHP has been in decline for some time now, with many developers citing security issues as a major reason for choosing another language.
- PHP has been replaced by newer languages such as Ruby on Rails.
- PHP is not as well-supported as some other languages, making it difficult to find developers who are skilled in using it.
- PHP is not as fast as some other languages, making it difficult to build websites that are both fast and user-friendly.
This is what people say. But let's explore and see the reality of the market.
Usages of PHP as Server-Side Language
According to W3Techs’ data, PHP is used by 78.9% of all websites with a known server-side programming language. This means that almost 8 out of every 10 websites that you visit on the Internet are using PHP in some way.
The percentage of websites that use PHP as a server-side language has been declining since November 2017. In June 2018, the percentage was 79.6%, and in November 2018, it was 78.9%.
Although the number of users has declined, it is still high enough that it would be difficult to declare PHP as dead.
Ok, Enough with the usage now let's explore the job markets.
PHP Job Market Reports
According to Indeed, the top three job categories that include PHP are web development, web design, and eCommerce. According to Stack Overflow, the most popular language for web development in PHP. According to the 2017 Developer Skills Survey by Dice, 31% of developers who use PHP said that they would not switch to another language if they could not find a good PHP developer.
It seems that from the data that has been collected, it does not seem like PHP is dying anytime soon. Although it may be declining in popularity among developers, it is still used by a large number of websites. This means that there are still plenty of opportunities for people who are skilled in using PHP.
A New Beginning for PHP with the release of PHP 8
PHP 8 has been released to the public release on November 26, 2020!
This new major update includes many optimizations and powerful features that will allow us to write better code and build more robust applications.
PHP 8 features need their own post but one feature that is changing the PHP forever is JIT(Just in Time Compiler). With this new Rendering engine, PHP is faster than ever.
Is a project that is constantly being improved considered to be dead?
You tell me.
Last word
I think PHP is a very mature language for web development if you know the right way of using it. While there are some reasons for saying that it is a dead language, there are also many reasons for believing that it is not. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use PHP depends on the individual.