PHP developer
Darshika Srivastava
Associate Project Manager @ HuQuo | MBA,Amity Business School
According to the PHP’s?website: “PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML.”
The server executes the PHP code, and then the client receives the generated HTML. It’s a relatively simple language for a newbie to learn. That simplicity doesn’t preclude an impressive number of advanced features that any experienced professional programmer will appreciate.
Fun fact: PHP used to stand for Personal Home Page, but that name ran the risk of pigeonholing the language, so it was changed. Sometimes, it’s all about the packaging!
79% of all websites?whose server-side programming language is everyday knowledge use PHP. The language is everywhere, favored by popular sites such as Etsy, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Wikipedia, and Wordpress.
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What is a PHP Developer?
Quite simply, a PHP developer is a professional who develops applications, programs, and websites, using the dynamic scripting language called PHP. Sounds easy enough, right? Sometimes, PHP developers are referred to by more generic titles like “software developer” or “web developer.” However, PHP developers are just a specialized subset of the developer position.
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PHP Developer Roles and Responsibilities
PHP developers stay rather busy thanks to the host of tasks they’re expected to tackle. These include, although certainly not limited to:
Create, test and deploy new, innovative website applications in a timely and efficient manner, while concurrently working with other developers to meet data acquisition requirements
Identify and fix compatibility issues involving CSS, HTML, and scripting, often between a series of different platforms and browsers.
Test websites on all sorts of browsers (mobile, notebook, tablet), and address issues identified by customer feedback.
Research and explore various architectural considerations relating to the system design process, including web usability, the website’s performance, and database design. Explore and assess different alternatives for implementing new application features.
Communicate with and work alongside other development teams and company management to solve conflicts, establish priorities, select the best solutions, or develop criteria for new content.
Develop plans for keeping the website updated and current at all times, recommend improvements for performance, create and fine-tune style guidelines for the website’s content, and choose the most effective design tools, programming languages, and applications.
Provide detailed descriptions of website specifications such as product features, budget, programming languages, communication protocols, functionalities, structure, and deadlines.
Keep up with the latest programming practices and web technologies via reading, continuing education opportunities, and participating in relevant professional workshops, groups, and conferences.
These responsibilities may vary from business to business, depending on things like staff size. A small company may hire a PHP developer to handle anything programming related, while a larger organization may have a full IT/programming department.
Web Development Tools
Web development tools allow web developers to test and debug code, and work with a number of web technologies handled by web browsers. They can be in the form of add-ons or as a built-in feature inside the web browser itself. Many popular web browsers today, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera come with their own set of add-ons and additional features. In order to keep up with the rising expectations of web browsers, web developers need to continually enhance their skill set with better and more versatile web development tools.?
Here are some of the most popular web development tools:
TypeScript
CodeKit
WebStorm
Creative Tim
Angular JS
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Skills Required to Become a PHP Developer
For a good PHP developer to meet all of the expectations listed above, he or she must be able to draw from a robust set of appropriate skills. Here’s a list of the most needed expertise and talents:
PHP, of course, even if it’s just at the beginner level. It's a start.
Knowledge of Ajax, jQuery, and MySQL.
If you’re going to be a?full-stack developer, then you need to know JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
APIs, Unix/Linux, and MVC Framework Architecture.
Understanding CakePHP- an open-source web framework, and PHPUnit- a unit testing framework.
Photoshop or a similar design tool
Good communication skills
A knack for problem-solving
The ability to think critically
The last three listed skills go under the category of “soft skills,” ones that are more associated with personality traits, as opposed to “hard skills,” which are skills that can be quantified and taught. It is all just a fancy way of saying that certain personality types fare better at PHP development than others.
If you’re already a developer, but you’re looking to get into PHP, it would be smart to consider the?upskilling?option. Additional training and continuing education become a crucial part of your continued career success. This happens when you realize that?one in four IT professionals?worry that their skills may become obsolete. Additionally, you increase your value at your place of employment by upskilling with PHP. Of course, if your company fails to appreciate your newfound skills, then those new skills will help you to seek a new position elsewhere!v