Writing code is the basic thing which creates the base for developing the website and accordingly developers select the appropriate language. So, there comes two languages which the developers use majorly- JavaScript and PHP. Let’s have a look into the details of these languages which will actually help the developers and users to make a wiser decision which suits their requirement perfectly. PHP Development Company emphasizes on using PHP as they are completely aware of the advantages it offers to the clients. But both the languages have their own unique features and companies hire developers of respective fields to get the best output.
Usually, there is a perception that PHP is server-side scripting language and JavaScript is language for scripting on the client side. But it is not true as both the languages have diverse functionalities. PHP Development Company India emphasizes on making dynamic websites using PHP and JavaScript is widely used for creating dynamic and interactive websites. People hire dedicated developers as they are aware of the whole functionalities of the respective languages, and this helps them to decide upon choosing one.
JAVASCRIPT
It was released in 1995 and is comparatively faster than others. It can be easily integrated with HTML, XML, Ajax and other available frameworks. It is quite old and difficult language to understand through and is supported by a large community. It is widely used for the large projects of the enterprise.
- It is open and very compatible with cross-platform arrangement.
- Highly used to develop the network centric mobile applications and web pages.
- It has got simple to use and unique features.
- It is object oriented and is case sensitive to variables as well as in function.
- It supports the framework and is platform independent.
PHP
PHP is an interpreted scripting language which was developed in 1995 for creating websites. It stands for Hypertext processor and is a programming language which is embedded in HTML. It is majorly used for development at the back-end. It is used to build highly interactive websites but is comparatively slow. Some of the other features of PHP is given below:
- It is open-source scripting.
- It is quite easy to integrate with the known databases like SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase and more.
- Also, it can easily handle forms, save the data to respective files, gather data from different files and then also return data to the user.
- PHP runs on all the major operating systems like macOS, LINUX, Microsoft Windows etc.
PHP Vs JAVASCRIPT
Now let’s look into the features of both the languages and compare them on the given parameters which will help one to judge and select the one as per their requirement.
A) Speed and Performance
PHP is quite synchronous and here the second line cannot be further executed until done with the first one and that is why it is slower comparatively to JavaScript. But nevertheless, it is more stable and productive than JavaScript.
On the other hand, JavaScript is a single threaded model which is driven by a number of events. And these models are ensured by the Node clustering which allows to run the entire code simultaneously. So, here one does not have to wait for prior functions to be completed first. This of course increases the speed of the program. So, it can be considered as the best one for the streaming platforms. But in terms of performance overall, it lags behind PHP.
B) Simplicity
Both JavaScript and PHP are easy languages to learn. Like HTML and CSS, JavaScript is also not a markup language, hence, if one knows any other language then can easily start with any of the languages, PHP or JavaScript. The tutorials for both the languages are easily available online and one can easily learn through it. Also, as both the languages are interpreted so the developers or users can easily make the changes in code and then see the effect without any need to re-compile the code.
C) Universality
Although JavaScript is a full stack development language it is majorly considered for the front-end development only which is not actually true. The developers or users can develop the entire web page or any mobile application using JavaScript alone.
While PHP is a language meant for back-end development only. It is referred to as the LAMP stack which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, Python/Perl/PHP. Hence to develop any app, the developer needs to know these languages along with HTML and CSS. And this is what complicates everything. Hence, in terms of universality, JavaScript is considered ahead of PHP because of its nature of being a full stack developer.
D) Concurrency
As already mentioned, JavaScript is such a programming language which is single-threaded due to which it is asynchronous. While PHP is asynchronous in nature as it is multi-threaded. One can use the combination of Ajax and JavaScript to bring in the asynchronous function. And this function is then used on the side of the client as such a technique which is actually inter-related in web development. This consequently helps to develop web applications which are asynchronous in nature.
E) Community support
Both the languages have a great community support as both are unique in their own features. JavaScript is popular among the users because of its features like extensibility, universality, and holds a good image among developers. Some of the known brands who are using JavaScript are Uber, LinkedIn, Instagram, NASA, Airbnb, eBay, Netflix, and many more known brands. And if we talk about PHP, then even it is used by many known brands like Slack, Wikipedia, Facebook, Lyft, Tumblr and many such big brands. Thus, both the languages have a huge community to resolve the queries of learners and experienced developers.
F) Independent from the platform factor
Actually, here both the languages get the brownie point for this factor as both of them are platform-independent. JavaScript can easily run on any of the selected browsers among Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome etc. And Same with PHP, it can easily run on any of the mentioned browsers among Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris.
G) Extensibility
This refers to the flexibility of the language to integrate with different platforms. So, JavaScript can easily merge with the XML, HTML, Ajax and also with the new ones like React, Angular, Vue and many more such platforms. While on the other hand, PHP can be integrated only with HTML and hence it is mainly used with the CMS, Content Management Systems. And this ultimately reduces the cost of developing web pages.
H) Curve of Learning
Here PHP wins the race as setting up the server in PHP is as simple as creating the PHP file. And creating a PHP file means writing the required code with <?php?> tags and then copy-pasting the URL into the browser. While setting up JavaScript is also a simple process but more complicated than that of PHP. Here developers are required to have proper knowledge before setting up the things. But for beginners, PHP will definitely be the winner.
I) Security
In JavaScript, the code is totally visible in the browser but in PHP it is not, hence PHP is more secure and JavaScript is more vulnerable to risks and threats of security. Although there are ways whereby Analyzer Tools one can secure their JavaScript as well.
CONCLUSION:
The above points shows how both the programming languages have their own specialties and one can choose either of them depending upon their requirement. And one option can be to use the combination of both which will give the users a dynamic and interactive website. So, if one is planning to have an app with a single page, or real-time application or a large project with heavy data, then one should definitely go for Node.Js. But if one is already familiar with LAMP technologies or wants to develop an e-commerce website, then one can surely go ahead with the PHP. So, guys whatever be the selection make full use of the functionalities of the respective languages.
