So someone asked me why I use PHP to design websites. Well, I rarely do since most of the designs have been working with lately seem to do fairly ok with HTML and CSS. But when it comes to heavy metal designs, I can pull my PHP weight around. Here’s my answer.

When we talk about web designing, the first language which comes into our mind apart from HTML is PHP. Why? It is one on the hottest scripting language into today’s technology world. Well, the reason behind its popularity is no license cost. PHP is open source, which means that you can download free of charge and use at will.

Web designers use PHP to develop fast, secure, scalable, and dynamic web portals. The advantage of using the language is that customized web forms and functions can be created. The codes of PHP are compatible with all versions of HTML making it one of the most compatible languages. The language is very easy to understand and boosts simplicity in terms of design and interface. The security functions in PHP makes the application secure from virus and spyware attacks. PHP is user friendly covering all these aspects mentioned above and makes it the most suitable language for creating web pages.
The modular structure of codes in PHP can adapt the change and custom module can be created very easily. Ready to use framework like Zend can be used to build big web portals. Other frameworks like Joomla and Drupal are commonly used to develop business websites. Your blog system can be enhanced through WordPress Plugins.

4 Major uses of PHP in Web Designing

Content Management Systems

One of the most popular uses of PHP is creating or using Content Management System. A good CMS allows your clients to update their website and add content without any in-depth knowledge of HTML and CSS.

Create a PHP Photo Gallery

By simply using PHP’s file handling functions, you can create your own photo gallery! you begin by placing your photos in a single directory, you then use PHP’s exif function to get header information about the photo and output a thumbnail version of it. Simple!

Create Dynamic Website Templates

Using PHP, you can make it easier to add pages and elements to your websites dynamically. You begin by creating the HTML page and splitting it into the header, main content, and footer sections. Add the .php extension to your subsequent pages and use server-side Includes for the header and footer for each new page. You can also have dynamic sidebars and top navigation sections.

E-Commerce

From a small business level to an enterprise level, businesses are always looking to create additional streams of revenue online. If you know how to integrate existing e-commerce solutions or build your own from scratch, this gives you a distinct advantage with your clients.

There are so many things you can use PHP to do but I’m deliberately keeping this post short. To go in-depth, there are so many available manuals that can help you become a PHP coder.

It’s simple, it’s fun and totally worth it.

Zee