JavaScript is not just for front-end programming; it can also be used for back-end development.
Before I go on the offensive and declare that one language is superior to another, let me make something clear. Because I don’t want this conversation to develop into a comparison of apples and oranges, I’m going to clarify the primary distinction between PHP vs Javascript.
When it comes to web development, PHP is strictly a backend language. JavaScript, on the other hand, began off as a language for building web pages for the web browser. However, JavaScript has now become a full stack thanks to the 2009 introduction of Node.js.
JavaScript isn’t just for front-end development; it can also be used to build web applications from the ground up. JavaScript may now be used to build an app from the ground up, on both the client and the server. The real question is, which one is better suited to your specific task?
To put it another way, the debate is limited to which language to employ for back-end development when considering PHP vs JavaScript. Based on the following criteria, I’ll compare PHP vs JavaScript for web development to help you make an informed selection.
What is PHP used for?
Website PHP with dynamic and interactive features can be written with PHP. Web applications of many kinds, from e-commerce sites to CRM systems such as HubSpot and Salesforce, use this feature.
Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is the acronym for PHP. In the beginning, PHP stood for “Personal Home Page” in the acronym. Personal home sites, however, were not the only uses for the language. As a result, the initials “PHP” were dropped from the acronym.
In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at PHP and how it works, its link to PHP in HTML, examples of PHP in operation, and so on.
What is Java used for?
Even though the technology is getting better at a very fast rate, people, including programmers, tend to lose sight of the basics. These ideas influenced a lot of the technology we use today. Java is critical as a programming language, and it will be for the coming years. It also changed the direction of technology for the next 20 years and will continue to do so in the near future.
Java is the most popular and widely used object-oriented programming language. Java is popular and used by many people because it is safe. It is used for many different situations by Java enthusiasts. Using Java, we can make numerous apps, like enterprise apps, network apps, desktop apps, web apps, games, an Android app, and many more. In this part, we will talk about what Java is used for, how it is used, and why we use it.
In this post, we will learn about PHP vs Javascript, as well as the distinctions between the two languages.
People used to consider PHP as a server-side PHP coding language and Javascript as a client-side language because Javascript could only be performed in web browsers. However, with the advent of frameworks like V8, Node, and others, Javascript can now perform many of the functions that PHP previously could. For this reason, Javascript is seen as more powerful than PHP because it can manage both the front end and the back end.
JavaScript is the most widely used interpreted and compiled programming language. It is lightweight and easy to learn. It is sometimes referred to as a web page scripting language. It is often used in web page development, although it can also be used in non-browser situations. Both client-side and server-side JavaScript development can be done using the same tool.
Syntax:
It is generally preferred to keep the tags in the head> tag, but you can position them anywhere on your page. Text between these tags should be interpreted as JavaScript code when this tag is used.
Example 1: In this example, the for loop is used to print text for a specific amount of time in Javascript.
HTML
Output:
Example 2: In this example, the element id is used to retrieve the text using the getElementById() method in Javascript.
PHP: PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, and it is a server-side scripting language intended primarily for web development. PHP may be easily integrated into HTML files, and PHP files can likewise contain HTML code. Both HTML code and the.php file extension can be used to write PHP scripts, just as Javascript. However, because it relies on a server to function, you won’t be able to see the code’s output in a straightforward fashion.
Syntax:
Steps to run the PHP code:
Xampp or another local server programme can be set up. Once Xampp is installed, rename all of your HTML and PHP files to end in.php and place them in the htdocs folder of xampp. XAMPP, apache and SQL server are running, so go to localhost with your file URL and see what happens (type localhost/folder name/filename.php or localhost/filename.php in your browser) output can be seen there. PHP code starts with <?php and ends with ?>. This is to tell the compiler/server that the PHP language starts here.
Example 1: This example describes the PHP for loop to display the repeated output.
Output:
Difference between PHP & Javascript
| S.No. | Javascript | PHP |
| 1. | Javascript can be used on both the front and back end of a website. | Back-end applications are the primary use cases for PHP. |
| 2. | Event processing in Javascript can be synchronous or async thanks to callbacks, promises, and the async/await constructs. | Waiting for I/O to complete is synchronous in PHP. |
| 3. | It is possible to use Javascript in browsers, as well as via the command line, thanks to the development of Node.JS. | PHP can only be run on a server. A server is required for this to work. |
| 4. | HTML, AJAX, and XML can all be combined with Javascript. | PHP can only be used in conjunction with HTML. |
| 5. | The security of Javascript code is lower. | The PHP programming language has a very high level of security. |
| 6. | Javascript requires an environment for accessing the database. | The database can be accessed directly in PHP. |
| 7. | Functions in JavaScript are case-sensitive. | Function names are not case-sensitive in PHP. |
As a Final Word
The score is 3 to 5 in favor of JavaScript in the PHP vs JavaScript comparison.
Both languages have a robust community, are extensible, and are well-suited to a wide range of applications. There is no doubt that JavaScript is more effective in terms of speed and universality than any other scripting language available. We found that while the syntax may be a matter of personal preference, the learning curve for Python is far lower than that for PHP.
This does not mean JavaScript and Node.js are the ideal choices for every project; it is up to you and your project to decide.
