Javascript is over 24 years old but it is still used in today’s websites because it allows developers to add interactive features that change and update a web page without reloading a copy of the web page from the server. PHP on the other hand is a server-side programming language which runs on the server instead of on the client-side. PHP vs Javascript compares the commonalities between the two languages but it is not fair to compare the two as they both have different purposes for website development.
In fact, the most dynamic website is created when developers use them together to build the most engaging interactive websites.
PHP vs Javascript For Web Development
Both Javascript and PHP are general purpose scripting languages suited for web development. Javascript is a client-side scripting language whereas PHP is a server-side scripting language. Being a client-side programming language, it runs in the browser on the client machine because there is a built-in Javascript engine in every browser. But as you know, Javascript is unable to access anything on the server such as a database. This is where PHP comes in because PHP runs on the server-side where the web server exists.
Websites that use databases for persistent stores require a server-side programming language such as PHP to access them. Because Javascript cannot access anything on the server-side, it is used on the client side alongside HTML to provide interactive UI/ UX pages. It is also used to provide client-side validation and error checking routines. Javascript can also be used to email forms containing input data entered by a user.
When there is processing required on input data entered on the client side, server-side scripting languages such as PHP is used. PHP has the ability to access databases running on the server. User login information is entered on the client-side and authenticated on the server-side using PHP. User information may be kept on a database such as mySQL and accessed by a PHP script. Database access via PHP involves connection to a database then the connection object is used for subsequent queries. PHP allows data to be selected, inserted, deleted and updated.
Both programming languages are used for web development today. On the client side, Javascript is used alongside with HTML and CSS. It is easy to learn and powerful. Most developers prefer to use Javascript libraries and frameworks to build large robust and scalable websites. There are libraries to help developers build UI’s, charting, parse and more.
On the server side, PHP is used extensively with databases and more. PHP executes on the server and the resultant HTML is generated and sent to the client.
Javascript is an asynchronous single-threaded programming language as compared to PHP which is a multi-threaded language and asynchronous.
Both Javascript and PHP are platform-independent. PHP can run on all major Operating Systems such as Linux, Windows, Mac, and Solaris and on web servers such as Apache, IIS, and Lighttpd. Javascript can run on any browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer and so on.
PHP is more secure than Javascript as the PHP code is not visible in the browser. This hiding of source code deters any hacking from occurring. Since the resultant HTML is generated by PHP, it is almost impossible to predict what the client will receive because the HTML is generated then sent to the client for display. Javascript code is vulnerable and is prone to security risks. There is no way to hide Javascript code from prying eyes. You can secure your Javascript code by using Security Analyzer tools and use best development practices such as usage of SSL/HTTPS and so on.
PHP vs Javascript – Features
| Features | PHP | Javascript |
|---|---|---|
| Object-Oriented |
Yes |
Yes |
| Easy to use existing code |
Yes |
Yes |
| Server-side scripting |
Yes |
No |
| Client-side scripting |
No |
Yes |
| Case-sensitive to variables |
Yes |
Yes |
| Case-sensitive to functions |
No |
Yes |
| Requires HTTP to execute |
Yes |
Yes |
| Supports framework |
Yes |
Yes |
| Open source |
Yes |
Yes |
| Executes in browser |
No |
Yes |
| Supports database |
Yes |
No |
| Performance |
Fast |
Slow |
| Exception Handling |
Yes |
Yes |
| Supports framework |
Yes |
Yes |
| Memory Management |
Yes |
Yes |
| Updates files on server |
Yes |
No |
| Platform independent |
Yes |
Yes |
PHP or Javascript Which Is Better?
Comparing PHP vs Javascript is unfair because PHP runs on the server and Javascript runs on the client machine. Javascript runs slower when compared to PHP but again, it is unfair to compare the performance of a client machine vs a server.
Instead of trying to justify which programming language is better, it is more important to understand the key difference between PHP vs Javascript then utilize them accordingly to create dynamic websites.
If you’re not convinced then look at some websites that are built using PHP and Javascript.
They include:
- Flickr
- Wikipedia
- Yahoo
And the popular wordsmith platform known as WordPress is entirely built using PHP and Javascript. Using both these technologies together makes websites perform better. Dynamic interactive websites with front-end validation is where the power of Javascript comes in, while server-side processing is taken care of by PHP. When the client-side web pages slow down, developers can rewrite certain sections of the website in PHP and offload client processing to the server.
Analysis reports say that JavaScript is currently being used by more than 94 percent of the websites. There are many JavaScript Frameworks available in the web market like AngularJS, ReactJS, NodeJS, etc. By using these frameworks, the development time and effort is reduced significantly for Javascript-based websites and applications. JavaScript allows programmers to build large-scale web applications easily.
When Should You Use PHP or Javascript?
PHP is a server-side programming language. Here is a list of when you should use PHP:
- When data is required to be saved in a file or a database.
- When data is to be validated against values in a database.
- When you want to authenticate a user login.
- When you want to calculate date or time sensitive calculations.
Javascript is a client-side programming language. Here is where Javascript should be used:
- When you want to provide tips to user when entering data.
- When you want simple validation on input fields.
- When you want to email a form containing input fields.
- When you want to add interactive features to a web page.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
