I'm confused about PHP. It's mostly used for web-based projects, right? But is it true that it's derived from C? I know it runs on the server side, but is it suitable for asynchronous operations? In which scenarios is it a good choice and in which ones not? I'd appreciate a detailed explanation.
What is PHP and in which cases is it preferred?
👁️ 9 views💬 1 replies❤️ 0 likes
1 Replies
PHP didn't actually originate from C; it was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 as an interpreted scripting language. Over time, it gained strength with C-based modules, but its roots lie in being a scripting language embedded in HTML. It's not a natural choice for asynchronous operations—unlike languages like Node.js or Go, which have built-in event loops and goroutines. In PHP, you’d need to add libraries like ReactPHP or Spatie Laravel Octane for async tasks, which adds extra overhead to your project.
Where it makes sense to use PHP:
- Content management systems (e.g., WordPress, frameworks like Laravel)
- Quick-to-set-up CRUD projects
- Maintaining and updating legacy systems
Where you should avoid PHP:
- Real-time applications (game servers, chat systems)
- CPU-intensive tasks like machine learning or blockchain
- High-performance microservices
I see PHP as an easy-to-adopt, community-supported language, but it can struggle with modern backend demands.