PHP is one of the most popular server-side programming languages in use today. It powers 45.43% of all websites worldwide and has created some of the world’s most popular CMSes and frameworks, such as WordPress and Drupal.
A PHP developer creates and maintains websites on top of PHP. Choosing the right developer to work on your project is not easy. This is true in any industry, but it is more difficult in software development. The reason is that it is difficult to define what a PHP developer should be.
While there are general skills that every developer should have, it is not enough to say that someone is a good PHP developer. The problem is that different people and companies have different requirements and expectations. We’ll discuss some of the most important skills that a PHP developer should have to overcome this problem.
5 Qualities Of A Good PHP Developer
If you’re looking for a new employee to fill a PHP developer position, there are some skills you want your candidate to have. You don’t want to hire just anyone. It’s a waste of time and money.
This is why you should research the qualities of experienced developers when hiring people to fill this role. Here are some qualities that’ll benefit your business once you have hired someone as a PHP developer:
1. Good Communication Skills
A good PHP developer will have excellent communication skills. That means they can listen to others, communicate, and collaborate with others.
PHP is a server-side programming language, so as a PHP developer, one must communicate with front-end developers. They also need to communicate with end-users for the application they build to make sure that the users are not facing any problems using the application.
2. Analytical skills, especially when it comes to problem-solving and code reading
Developers will often find themselves in situations where they need to solve a technical problem. Whether it’s something as simple as fixing an error message or more complex like adding functionality to the product, they have to analyze and diagnose any issues that arise.
Identifying the root cause of an issue is one important aspect of being analytically minded. They can’t fix what they don’t understand or know how it works. So debugging both code and logic is critical for success in this position.
3. Understand The Basics Of Project Planning And Management
In addition to having the relevant technical skills, a good PHP developer should also have strong project management and communication skills. Every successful development project requires careful planning. The PHP developer must clearly understand what they are responsible for and what their team members are responsible for.
4. A Good Listener
As a team member, good listening skills are crucial. Listening to others and communicating effectively is a skills that can be learned, practiced, and improved.
5. Dedication and focus on work/project at hand
This is very important for a PHP programmer working with databases and other SQL-related systems. If they can’t sit still for long hours working through tough problems, this might not be their job.
It’s also important to note that they need dedication because many different areas within web development require their expertise—they won’t get anywhere if they don’t know what language or framework belongs in which context.
7 Technical Skills Required For A PHP Developer
The demand for PHP developers is increasing day by day as it powers 77.4% of all the websites whose server-side programming language. But, there is still a shortage of skilled people in the market. So how can you tell if they possess the skills to be a PHP developer? Here is a list of skills a PHP developer must have.
1. Knowledge of a Framework
Thorough knowledge of a framework is a must. Laravel is the most popular PHP framework, and many developers and companies use it to build scalable applications. Other popular frameworks include Symfony, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, etc.
These days there are also other frameworks like Yii and Zend, which are used for enterprise-level applications.
2. Object-oriented programming concepts
Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm that focuses on data objects and their interactions.
The benefits of object-oriented programming include:
- Simpler code and fewer lines of code to write. (The more complex application becomes, the more difficult it becomes to debug)
- An increase in code reuse. (This means that the developer can use pre-written pieces of code in your project instead of writing everything from scratch.)
3. Writing scalable and standard code
Writing scalable, standard, and reusable code is the best way to ensure that the code is easy to maintain, debug and test.
The first step in writing scalable and standard code is to have a coding standard. A coding standard gives the developer guidance on how to write their PHP code and makes sure everything looks neat (and, therefore, easier to read). The second step is following it!
If developers want their codebase to be easy for others (or for themselves) to understand, it must be aesthetically pleasing. This means that they should follow good practices when it comes out of the box—the same applies to JavaScript libraries such as jQuery or BackboneJS, which can make writing beautiful web applications a lot easier if used correctly. However, this also applies to PHP frameworks like Symfony2 or Laravel4 since they provide some structure to help developers understand what’s going on.
Even though these frameworks might seem scary at first glance because they contain lots of abstractions which can make learning harder than usual due to their complexity levels: there are plenty of tutorials available online explaining them thoroughly, so don’t worry if something doesn’t seem clear right away–keep reading until everything falls into place!
4. Database and SQL knowledge
The knowledge of databases is key to the success of your project. Databases are built to store and retrieve data, and there are many different kinds of database servers that can be used to accomplish this task.
When you’re looking for a freelance PHP developer, it’s likely that you have a specific project in mind. You’re going to need someone who is able to work with the languages and tools you need, as well as someone who is familiar with the general practices of web development, such as HTML5 and CSS3.
If you want to find a PHP developer who truly knows their stuff, then it’s best to work with one who has experience doing this kind of work and has an understanding of the latest trends. That’s why if you’re looking to hire a PHP developer, it might be better to outsource this task than to take a chance on an average developer.
5. Creating and developing APIs
An API, or application programming interface, is a set of rules for how two pieces of software will work together. A programmer can create an application that uses other sources’ data with APIs. This has become popular in recent years as developers create more personalized applications and allow for complex interactions between different systems.
PHP is the most common language used for creating APIs in terms of web development. It is relatively easy to use, flexible, and works well with multiple platforms. PHP also allows programmers to create their libraries, which can be shared with other coders to make creating projects easier. In addition, there are third-party tools that help automate the process of creating an API using PHP.
6. Testing Code
The process of testing software is an important part of the development cycle. The code should be tested at all stages, and many different types of tests can be used to ensure that the code works as intended. PHP developers should understand what these tests are and how they differ.
- Unit Testing: Unit testing aims to isolate each unit (or module) in a system to test their functionality independently from other units or external components.
- Acceptance Testing: Acceptance testing evaluates if an application meets the needs and expectations of its stakeholders as specified in an acceptance criteria document written upfront before any coding starts on the project. This type of testing involves end-users or customers who evaluate early versions of your product through prototypes or mockups before being deployed into production environments; this is commonly known as beta testing.
- Integration Testing: As applications become more complex over time due to frequent changes made by developers working on them over several iterations without proper documentation, it becomes increasingly difficult for testers who don’t understand how various parts work together under certain conditions—and therefore unable verify whether those parts still behave correctly when integrated again later down the line (in integration environments).
7. Addressing Security Concerns
PHP developers are likely to be hired for projects that deal with sensitive information, such as financial data or medical records. Therefore, security is a key concern for most projects, so you should make sure that your potential employee has the skills necessary to ensure security.
- Make sure they’re familiar with PHP-based frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony, which help prevent common attacks by making it easier to protect against SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Ensure they have up-to-date knowledge of web application development best practices; this includes keeping all code updated with current standards and using secure coding practices like those outlined in OWASP Top 10.
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