Everything You Need To Know About PHP 7 For Better Enterprise Development
Before PHP 7, PHP 5.6 was the latest version of PHP. However, the improvement of PHP was imminent to provide businesses with a programming language they could fully rely upon for PHP and MySQL web development. These calls have been answered in the form of the PHP 7 update.
What’s New About PHP 7?
You already know PHP is a great programming language to invest in, but why should you use PHP 7 and not stick to the older versions? Of course, the new features of PHP 7 are better and make this technology much more productive!
These are the new features and how they can assist your PHP project.
New Zend Engine!
It wouldn’t be a complete PHP environment if there wasn’t a Zend engine involved. Well, the PHP 7 new features have an improved Zend engine amongst them. It has uniquely better functionality and an added extensible object model, making it better than the previous versions of the engine.
Simplifies Error Handling
Prior to the use of PHP 7, error handling was an issue many PHP developers would encounter, causing much frustration. Error handling is the identifying of an error/irregularity, and the code’s ability to take action against the error. This is an important feature that should be present in a programming language as it helps to keep track of and tackle errors within the code.
PHP 7 Comes to Windows 64-Bit Systems
With much relief, one of the PHP 7 features is compatibility for Windows 64-bit. This is a relief for investors since they are no longer restricted to creating PHP software that only supports Linux.
This is great news since not only does it save you money, but it is also very convenient to not have device compatibility constraints.
Scalar Declarations Change
In PHP 7, scalar declarations have been introduced. There are two types of options available in scalar declarations:
Coercive: In this mode, specification is not required. It is the default mode.
Strict: Explicit hints are required in the strict mode.
Scalability
Scalability is one feature you would expect before selecting a programming language to use. Thankfully, one of the best features of PHP 7 is scalability. Your main concern right now might not be scalability. But, it certainly will be one day!
The improved Zend engine optimizes the code and makes it run faster, requiring fewer servers. This saves money and the stress of not having to undertake more than necessary.
Opting for PHP web development means that one day when your business grows, your website can grow too. It will be a seamless transfer!
Improved Extended Support
The greatest advantage of staying up to date with software is the fact that you always get the best support. This is especially true since the PHP community is so large and offers documentation to allow other developers to help people achieve their target using the newest technology of PHP 7.
Is Upgrading to PHP 7 Worth It?
We know that migrating your software from one version to another can be a tricky and tiresome job. But, use a PHP development company to make the transition that much smoother and less stressful!
In the long run, migrating sooner rather than later is the better option, giving you time to adjust and make any error corrections if required.
Every expert PHP programmer from a development company is able to develop customized software and do it in the least possible time to avoid long downtimes which could disrupt your business operations.
What Will Happen If You Don’t Upgrade to PHP 7?
If you take the Magento 1 to Magento 2 shift as an example, you’ll find that upgrading your software versions is inevitable!
This is because eventually programming language developers and communities will end support for older versions so that they can focus on giving support to users of the newer software versions. If you do not upgrade before support and compatibility run out, you could be left with buggy software that is unusable.
So, if you want to avoid hassles later, upgrading to PHP 7 now is a better option. Failure to migrate in time could prove to be costly if you delay.
Other Reasons Why PHP Development Is Best For Enterprises
The PHP programming language, in general, is better suited for developing enterprise software since it holds many advantages every step of the way.
Cost-Efficient
Being open-source, PHP will not bankrupt your business! Businesses big and small can efficiently and freely use this technology to build a website or application.
Security
PHP safely keeps your application using its security features. This means that you do not have to spend lots of money paying for website security. There are no possible threats to the data passed through your website because of the environment of PHP.
Large Community
Having a large community of developers on all levels of skills, finding the right developer to offer up their PHP web development services will not be a struggle. Being spoilt for choice, your development projects are bound to be developed extremely well.
Easy to Learn and Use
Dealing with a hard and complex programming language works against you and your team of employees! But, since PHP is a fairly simple programming language, your PHP programmer will not have to struggle to complete your project.
Cross-Platform Support
PHP is a programming language that has a large array of libraries accessible to it, in effect, this means that it can be successfully run on a multitude of operating systems. This also includes the popular Windows operating system and Linux. One PHP program has the potential to be run on all your business devices.
Conclusion
PHP has everything you need to build stable, complex, user-friendly websites and applications, whatever your enterprise may need. But, PHP 7 has the capability to make a good application better in every way possible. To get the best of PHP, you can seek the help and resources of a PHP website development company!