10 ways to enhance PHP-based web development

PHP has wide usage and is one of the most popular languages for coding. As per a recent report ending on 7th December 2013, more than 39.31% of websites globally have PHP at their root. This is a better share than languages like J2EE, ASP.NET and others. Every now and then, PHP comes with an upgrade and this keeps developers at the end of their toes. However, developers need to be aware of some basic tweaking that can increase the credibility and accessibility of PHP sites to a great extent. Here are some tips to look out for.
 
1. Avoiding SQL Injection
 
Injecting SQL is actually quite dangerous and allows hackers to get into databases. Using SQL scripts weakens a PHP code and this is what most hackers search for. Many developers unknowingly choose MySQL databases for websites. However, this needs to be completely avoided to maintain the security of a website.
 
2. Knowledge of comparison operators
 
Experienced and expert web developers too sometimes fail to understand the difference between various PHP comparison operators. As an example, “===” stands for identity while “==” stands for equality”. These are minor but highly crucial elements in PHP programming. A professional developer should have thorough idea of all such operators.
 
3. Working with “that else”
 
Using the “That else” stamen makes the code very complicated even if it enhances the speed and performance of the website. It is really the choice of the developer whether to get into the complicacy.
 
4. The typical “else” statement
 
if( this condition )
{
$x = 5;
}
else
{
$x = 10;
}
In this case to have the $x as 10 by default, you should start with 10. “Else” isn’t required in the coding
 
$x = 10;
if( this condition )
{
$x = 5;
}
Removing the “else” will speed up the site and also save much space.
 
5. Doing away with brackets
 
The case with brackets is similar to the previously mentioned “else” statement. A typical bracket-less set of codes would look like:
 
if ($gollum == ‘halfling’) {
$height –;
}
 
However, the result is same as in:
 
if ($gollum == ‘halfling’) $height –;
 
Example of multiple instances:
 
if ($gollum == ‘halfling’) $height –;
else $height ++;
 
if ($frodo != ‘dead’)
echo ‘Gosh darnit, roll again Sauron’;
 
foreach ($kill as $count)
echo ‘Legolas strikes again, that makes’ . $count . ‘for me!’;
 
6. Employing ternary operation
 
Ternary operations make PHP codes much more readable. However, also ensure that you aren’t resorting to just a single ternary for every single statement. This is in line with the PHP guidelines.
 
7. Memcached
 
This can enhance the operation of database caching.
 
8. Suppression operator
 
The suppression or error operator “@” needs to be only used when you want to hide an expression from the script but don’t want it removed.
 
9. Using Framework power
 
Supportive PHP frameworks like Symfony, Zend, CakePHP, Codeigniter and others help developers with faster coding. These frameworks come with in-built structures that lessen the work for the developer.
 
10. “isset” over “strlen”
 
The “isset” operator is five time more efficient than the “sterlen”. Using “isset” saves time and can be of great help.