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PHP Vs. NodeJS - Top 10 Most Practical Differences From Experienced Developer
by Ravi Bhadauria ADMEC Multimedia InstituteAlthough both PHP, as well as Node.js, can manage apps of any intricacy, they are developed around different concepts as well as architectures. If you are an application owner deciding which one to choose between these two environments, then it is of utmost importance that you need to understand the major differences between both. PHP, as well as Node.js, can be both used for the server-side development, and this is one of the main reasons which makes them strong competitors for each other. Below are some of the differences which based on different factors to understand each one of them. It will help you in future in deciding which one to choose between the two giants.
1. Run-time Environment: PHP is an open-source server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. It is additionally made use of as a general-purpose scripting language even though it is a server-side scripting language. On the other hand, Node.js is an open-source server-side Javascript run-time environment founded on Chrome's JavaScript Engine. It is made use of for creating rapid as well as scalable applications, non-blocking I/O model and also is an event-driven.
2. Engines Specification: PHP is powered by Zend engines whereas Node.js is powered by Google's V8 javascript engine.
3. Usage Complexity: PHP is much simpler to use compared to Node.js. Node.js requires more lines of coding, although it is not too complicated to use. It simply requires a basic understanding of closures and Callback functions.
4. Concurrency: PHP uses multi-threaded blocking I/O to carry out multiple tasks to run parallels alongside each other. Node.js uses event-driven non-blocking I/O execution model.
5. Execution: Node.js is asynchronous whereas PHP is synchronous.
6. Web Server: PHP runs on the Apache web server. It can also run on IIS web server in case of a windows machine. NPM does not need a web server; it runs on its runtime environment.
7. Execution Speed: PHP is slower than Node.js. Faster than PHP and also lightweight compared to PHP.
8. Package Manager: Composer package manager is widely used. Node Package Manager (NPM) is widely used.
9. Context Switches: Writing backend code in PHP, the end-user continually switches between diverse language and syntax. This is because PHP is principally used as part of LAMP stack which comprises PHP (for server-side code), MySQL (for the database), and Linux. In Node.js, there is no need to switch between the languages since it is written in JavaScript. It makes both the sides server-side and client-side based on JavaScript.
10. Frameworks: PHP is a very widespread server-side scripting language and has numerous frameworks which help in easy backend development. Some of them are Laravel, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, etc. In Node.JS, frameworks like the full-stack MVC frameworks Meteor and Derby and Express and are the most common ones.
So, when the situation arises like which platform to select in between Node.js and PHP, one of the most important factors to consider is what type of application you are going to develop. Some other important factors to keep in mind are what are the hosting requirements of your client, what is the speed of development etc. You should take into consideration PHP if your client is seeking a standard solution with comprehensive hosting support. On the other hand, Node.js is a far better option for RTAs (Real-time Applications) such as (SPAs) Single-page Applications, chats and even for collaboration applications.
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About Ravi Bhadauria 
ADMEC Multimedia Institute
104 connections, 0 recommendations, 300 honor points.Joined APSense since, May 25th, 2015, From Delhi, India.
Created on Dec 28th 2018 00:26. Viewed 452 times.
