Can I Learn PHP as My First Language?

PHP was my first programming language. I started working with it when I was 12 to make very basic websites. Since then, I've learned many programming languages and used them for various reasons. If you're wondering if you should learn PHP as your first programming language, my answer is no.

PHP is a server-side programming language. As such, it runs on a web server and processes commands from your browser. Just like HTML is used to create web pages, PHP can be used to create dynamic pages that can interact with a user's commands or input.

Another way of putting it: PHP is just like HTML! The only difference between them is that while HTML controls how a page looks—its appearance—PHP controls what happens when someone clicks on something or types something in the search bar or enters some text into an input field. In short, PHP lets you respond to events happening inside your website.

Need-to-know terminology

Before you begin your journey, it's important to understand the difference between a programming language and a markup language. When we talk about "programming," we mean the syntax of how code is written. This can be either something like HTML or CSS—which are used for formatting websites—or languages used to write more complex programs, like C++ or Java.

A programming language syntax is made up of rules that define what kind of computer instructions you can write in that particular language. For example, there are certain ways you need to structure an IF/ELSE statement in PHP so that it works correctly (like using curly brackets). You'll also see that most programming languages have similar features: variables, functions (aka procedures), loops and conditionals (if-then statements). Some even include basic math operations like addition and subtraction!

With so many different dialects out there—and new ones being created every day—it's hard not only knowing which one(s) will work best for your project but also where they come from in the first place! It might help if I share some background info about how these were developed:

Is PHP a good first programming language?

PHP is a good first programming language. It’s easy to learn, and it can be used to build websites or even create your own startup business.

PHP was designed for building dynamic websites in the 1990s. One of the reasons PHP became so popular was because it enabled people without a background in coding to create their own websites and applications quickly by using an application called “Apache HTTP Server” (or simply “Apache”). This open source software is available for free on the internet, which means that anyone can use it without having to pay a fee or license fee like with other programming languages such as C++ or Java.

PHP has been around since 1994 and continues to grow in popularity today because programmers love its simplicity and extensibility – meaning there are thousands of extensions developers can add onto their codebase when needed!

Which language to use instead of PHP?

If you’ve decided to pursue other languages instead of PHP, here are some options.

• Ruby on Rails

• Python

• JavaScript (Node.js)

• C# and/or VB.NET (C# is more popular)

JavaScript may be the most popular language right now since it is used in web development and many other areas. While JavaScript is not a compiled language like PHP, it can still be used for web development using frameworks such as React or AngularJS. Once you learn the basics of JavaScript, you can use React to build rich user interfaces that run in the browser.

Another option would be to learn C# or VB.NET which would enable you to do .NET development from Visual Studio, an IDE (integrated development environment). The basic syntax between these two languages are very similar so if one catches your interest then learning either one should be fairly easy for you!

Why PHP is not a good first language

PHP isn't a good first language for many reasons. First, it's easy to make mistakes and leave security holes in your project. If you're just learning how programming works, this can be devastating—it makes users distrust you and trust your competitors instead! You'll also have to spend more time fixing bugs than working on new features or making changes that will improve user experience (UX).

Second, PHP is a flexible language which means that it doesn't enforce strict rules about how code should be written; in other words, you could write ugly code and not get any errors if everything compiles fine. This discourages developers from writing elegant code because they don't see their work reflected back at them through their text editor or IDE (Integrated Development Environment).

Thirdly, since PHP isn't compiled into machine-readable code (called bytecode) before it runs on the server side of things like most other languages do (such as Ruby), there's no guarantee that your program will behave exactly as expected once deployed live on an actual website—this means that unexpected errors will crop up every now and then!

Although PHP is the most widely used web scripting language for websites, it is not a good choice for beginners because it's easy to make mistakes and leave security holes in a project.

Although PHP is the most widely used web scripting language for websites, it is not a good choice for beginners because it's easy to make mistakes and leave security holes in a project.

However, if you've already learned languages such as C++ or Java and want to apply your knowledge to writing web applications then PHP may be a good choice. If you're interested in learning more about this topic then visit W3Schools' tutorial on PHP.