What is PHP?
PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is the most prevalent language utilized in web development. Often recognized as an open-source scripting language, PHP allows for seamless integration within HTML documents. The scripting code is placed between specific processing instructions, namely between <?php> and ?>. Even those new to programming will find PHP to be user-friendly and accessible.
While both PHP and JavaScript are utilized in the realm of web development, they fulfill distinct functions and responsibilities. In certain scenarios, PHP and JavaScript collaborate to accomplish a shared objective. When these two languages operate in unison, JavaScript is responsible for the front-end aspects of the website, whereas PHP manages the back-end operations. However, when employed separately, each language can significantly contribute to web development on its own. Prominent and widely-used websites like Facebook, Yahoo, and Flickr are developed using a combination of both JavaScript and PHP.
Difference between JavaScript and PHP
Below are the distinct differences between JavaScript and PHP.
| JavaScript | PHP |
|---|---|
| Currently, it is a full-stack programming language. It means it can serve both the client as well as server sites. | It is a server-side scripting language. It serves only the backend of the website. |
| It is faster but difficult to learn. | It is slower but easy to learn. |
| It is an asynchronous programming language that does not wait for the execution of the input-output operations. | It is a synchronous programming language. Thus, it waits for the execution of the input-output operations. |
| It is supportable by every web browser, such as Mozilla, Google Chrome, and many more. | It is supportable on Windows, Linux, Mac, etc. platforms. Supported by IIS, Apache, and Lighttpd web servers. |
| It carries less securable code. | PHP code is highly securable. |
| It requires an environment for accessing the database. | It allows easy and direct access to the database. |
| The code is written within <code>...<code> tags. | The code is written within <?php....?> tag. |
| Earlier, javascript was able to create interactive pages for the clients. But, at present, it is able to build real-time games and applications, mobile applications, too. | A PHP program is able to generate dynamic pages, send cookies, receive cookies, collect form data, etc. |
| It is a single-threaded language. Thus, each input-output operation is concurrently carried out. | It is a multi-threaded language. Thus, it blocks if multiple input-output operations execute. |
| The extension used to save an external javascript file is '.js'. | Files are saved using '.php' extension. |
| We can embed the js code in HTML, XML, and AJAX. | We can embed the PHP code only with HTML. |
| It supports fewer features. | It supports more advanced features as compared to JavaScript. |
| Popular frameworks of JavaScript are Angular, React, Vue.js, Meteor, etc. | Popular frameworks of PHP are Laravel, Symfony, FuelPHP, CakePHP, and many more. |
| Websites built in JavaScript are Twitter, LinkedIn, Amazon, etc. | Websites built in PHP are Wordpress, Tumblr, MailChimp, iStockPhoto, etc. |