Will PHP be the HOT Language of 2025?

Summary

In this video, Uncle Steph passionately advocates for PHP as the top server-side programming language for 2025, despite its past vulnerabilities. He explains that PHP has evolved into a stable, fast, and highly productive language, particularly with frameworks like Laravel. While acknowledging that other languages like Python and JavaScript have their strengths, Steph emphasizes PHP's ease of deployment, scalability, and broad job opportunities. He challenges the myth that PHP salaries are lower and argues that skill and experience matter far more in the development field. Ultimately, he believes PHP is ideal for most projects, especially smaller to medium-sized ones.

Takeaways

• 😀 PHP remains one of the most popular server-side languages, outperforming Java, JavaScript, Python, and Ruby in terms of web development.
• 😀 PHP was designed specifically for server-side development, which makes it highly productive and efficient for building web applications.
• 😀 Despite past security concerns, PHP has evolved significantly, and most of the early vulnerabilities have been addressed by PHP 8.
• 😀 PHP's initial security flaws contributed to its popularity in the early web, as it was easy to deploy and accessible to non-programmers.
• 😀 The perception of PHP being insecure is based on its older versions, not its current capabilities. PHP 8 is now enterprise-ready.
• 😀 PHP excels in ease of deployment, stability, speed, and productivity, making it ideal for small, nimble projects like MVPs and e-commerce sites.
• 😀 While PHP salaries might seem lower at entry-level compared to languages like Java or C#, they level out over time as experience grows.
• 😀 The scalability of PHP is often overemphasized; for most projects, scalability isn't a major concern, as modern servers handle significant traffic.
• 😀 PHP is a top choice for startups and businesses looking for rapid development and deployment, with a wide range of job opportunities available.
• 😀 Frameworks like Laravel have made PHP even more powerful, allowing developers to create enterprise-level applications with ease.
• 😀 Hosting is no longer a major concern for most developers, as modern server power has greatly reduced the need to worry about bandwidth or server limitations.

Q & A

Is PHP still a relevant programming language in 2025?

Yes, PHP remains a highly relevant server-side programming language in 2025, continuing to be popular and widely used for web development. Despite some misconceptions, its core strengths, such as ease of use, deployment, and a vast ecosystem, make it a top choice for many developers.

What makes PHP the best option for server-side development?

PHP was specifically designed for server-side development, which makes it highly optimized for that purpose. It excels in terms of productivity, ease of deployment, stability, speed, and the availability of a rich ecosystem. While other languages like JavaScript or Python have their advantages, PHP's focus on server-side applications makes it highly effective overall.

Has PHP improved in terms of security over the years?

Yes, PHP has significantly improved in terms of security. While it was once considered insecure due to its vulnerabilities in earlier versions, these issues have been addressed over the years. By PHP 5.6 and beyond, many security holes were closed, and by PHP 8, it is considered a secure and enterprise-ready language.

Why do some people still perceive PHP as insecure?

The perception of PHP as insecure is based on its early versions, which had many security vulnerabilities. However, this outdated view persists due to emotional biases and the difficulty people have in changing their opinions once they have formed an association, even if the situation has improved over time.

How does PHP compare with other languages in terms of scalability?

Scalability is often overrated as a deciding factor in language choice for most web applications. PHP can handle scalable applications, but most projects won't need to deal with extreme scalability requirements. In cases where scalability does become a concern, issues are typically related to database optimization, not the language itself.

Is PHP suitable for large enterprises or high-traffic websites?

Yes, PHP is suitable for large enterprises and high-traffic websites. Despite misconceptions, PHP powers large platforms like Facebook. For the majority of projects, concerns about scalability and performance are not as critical as ease of deployment and cost, which PHP handles well.

Why are PHP salaries typically lower than other programming languages like Java or C#?

PHP salaries may be perceived as lower because entry-level positions are more accessible and require less formal education compared to languages like Java or C#, which are often used in larger, enterprise-level organizations that tend to require degrees. However, as PHP developers gain experience, their salaries can be comparable to those of developers in other languages.

Does PHP have good job opportunities for developers?

Yes, PHP offers a broad range of job opportunities across various industries, including startups, small businesses, and large enterprises. PHP is widely used in web development for both small projects and large-scale applications, making it a good choice for developers looking for diverse opportunities.

What is the importance of hosting when choosing a programming language?

Hosting is less of a concern today than it was in the past. Advances in server technology have made hosting far more powerful and affordable. The language you choose for development is far less important than the resources you have for hosting, and with today's servers, most applications can run efficiently without needing high-end infrastructure.

Why should developers choose PHP for a new web application or startup?

PHP is a great choice for building new web applications or startups due to its ease of use, rapid deployment, and strong framework support like Laravel. It is particularly suited for small to medium-sized applications, SaaS products, and e-commerce websites, making it an ideal choice for developers looking for a stable and flexible solution.