|
|
- 
-
- It used to be the case that you wrote PHP for the backend and JavaScript on the
- front end. However, that has all changed with the invention of Node.js. Some kid
- invented a clever way to run JavaScript on the server. Now we can develop a
- website that runs JavaScript on both the front and back end. This is good right?
- We should all learn JavaScript. The one language to rule them all. Although
- Node.js has taken the web by storm, I would argue that there are cases where PHP
- is still relevant and even preferable.
-
- Where PHP Wins
- --------------
-
- The major benefit with PHP is the low development time. You can write a website
- in PHP much faster than you could with Node.js. PHP is simply easier to work
- with than Node.js. Things like GET, POST, and SESSION information is simply a
- variable that you reference. Doing the same things in node.js is trickier
- because they require node dependencies – which vary in quality. Next, PHP was
- built to work nicely with databases like Mongo, and MySQL. In PHP you can make
- database query without falling into the callback hell that you experience in
- Node.js. It is not impossible or impractical to work with databases in node.js,
- I have done it plenty of times. However, synchronization of the database calls
- can be tricky and requires more code than it does in PHP.
-
- Another key point is that PHP has been out for a longer amount of time so there
- is an abundance of code on the web for reference. Not only is there more code
- but there is also an abundance of tutorials, and books written on PHP. The last
- reason why I love PHP is that it is really easy to deploy. If you updated a file
- all you have to do is upload it to your apache web server. That’s it. With
- Node.js you would have to upload the file and restart the server for the change
- to take effect.
-
- Where Node.js Wins
- ------------------
-
- If you only want to know one language, Node.js wins because you can now just
- become a master at JavaScript. Many larger companies are starting to use Node.js
- simply because it is faster than PHP. The asynchronous calls in Node.js is a
- huge time saver for applications that heavily rely on database or API calls. The
- brilliant use of callback functions can make your application run wickedly fast.
- However, callback functions and synchronization promises can be a headache to
- write. Once you get into the groove of it, it is not terrible, but it will add
- development time to your project.
-
- Compared to PHP, Node.js is a newer language. There is currently a lot of people
- actively developing for it. Therefore, the libraries that you are using are
- newer and are often faster than their PHP counterparts. NPM is a lifesaver. NPM
- offers thousands of modules at your fingertips which can easily add
- functionality to your project.
-
- Conclusion
- ----------
-
- I don’t want to sound like I hate Node.js, I enjoy using both PHP and Node.js.
- PHP is better for smaller projects due to it’s fast development time. I would
- recommend Node.js for any project that deals with heavy database usage. The
- perfect use case for Node.js would be for a web API. If your project is heavily
- dependent on HTML - like a blog- I would urge you to use PHP.
-
- If you are still undecided, just learn Node.js. It pains me to say it but,
- Node.js is slowly taking over PHP.
-
- 
|
