Node.JS vs PHP ? What should you choose for your digital project?

Web development is a diverse and constantly evolving field. New technologies and tools are appearing on a regular basis, and as a result, programmers and application developers are faced with the dilemma of choosing between long-term, mature solutions and new ones to come.
Lead Developers are the ones who usually have to deal with the selection process between PHP and Node.js.
Previously, Javascript (the one behind Node.Js) did not overlap with PHP. Javascript was used to build front-end applications and, on the other hand, PHP was used to develop server-side applications. By working together, these two languages made it possible to create outstanding websites.

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So, what happened all of a sudden?

Why has the situation changed?

This happened when Javascript (JS) was represented by a brand new Node.Js and started to enter the "server" sphere and eventually distracted backend programmers from traditional PHP.

For the record,

Node.Js is a JavaScript development platform that has integrated an HTTP server. It is also a library of this language which allows the realization of actions such as the creation of a file or opening and closing network connections. It is also used to make web pages interactive and dynamic.

PHP, short for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a general-purpose scripting language designed for web development. It is used as the first choice for the language of content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal or Joomla and for frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony.

The common point found in both technologies is that they are both used on the back-end side to develop dynamic websites.

What are the differences between Node.JS and PHP?

Node.JS	PHP
This is a runtime environment for server-side JavaScript.	It's a language we're going to use on the server side.
Optimized by Google's V8 Javascript Engine	Optimized by Zend engines
Asynchronous	Synchronous
License MIT	License PHP
Used by 63% of developers	Used by 50% des développeurs
More complex to use as it requires more lines of code and basic understanding	Easier to use because it requires less code
Node.Js Certification Program	Zend Certification

 

The advantages of using Node.Js :

Node.Js has the advantage of being faster and lighter than PHP.

Among its other key benefits is the support for multithreading, which allows you to launch tasks in the background, manage simultaneous input streams, manage a user interface and much more.

Developers prefer to use Node.Js because it has :

• integrated server support
• a syntax almost identical to that of JavaScript, which makes it easier for JS developers to learn it
• its workflow module can make it easier to work with large files
• the modules remain constantly available once they have been downloaded and initialized for the first time
• a similar syntax for both sides: client and server, which will allow code reuse.

The advantages of using PHP :

PHP also has its own advantages over Node.Js :

• its development environment is easier to configure
• all web hosting services support PHP
• it supports more frameworks and CMS
• it contains a large library of instructions and frequently asked questions

It is possible to use PHP for your project if it includes :

• the use of CMS such as Drupal and WordPress or the Symfony framework for all or part of your website;
• if you need to use a relational database

What technology should you adopt for your project?

To make your final choice regarding the technology to adopt, it will depend on the type of applications you wish to develop, as well as your requirements regarding the choice of hosting and the delivery time of the site.

Another point to take into account is that you should use PHP for applications where the client does not have a strong interaction with the server.

While you should use Node.Js if your application requires a strong interaction between the server and the client.

If you have a project related to a real-time application, it is better to choose Node.Js or if you want to use a "standard" solution instead, then you can choose PHP.

If you have a project on Node.Js or with PHP :

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