Employers face the daunting challenge of recruiting web developers as a complex endeavor, taking several steps to select applicants with the necessary credentials.
When looking to hire a Heroku developer, the business goal should create job descriptions that fit their requirements; similarly, for PHP developer recruitment, job descriptions should reflect the required skill set.
10 Must Read Articles For PHP Developers
Utilize PHP Core Classes And Functions
If what you want to accomplish seems familiar, theres probably an existing PHP developer function or class you can utilize.
Before writing any custom functions yourself, refer to the PHP handbook first - for instance, trim() is available to eliminate white space at either end of a string quickly; no custom code is needed here.
Create And Maintain File Configurations
Why not create one file that includes all your database connection settings for inclusion into PHP scripts instead of having them scattered throughout? That way, if details need changing in the future, you only need to change one place instead of multiple files.
Plus, it provides convenience when working across multiple scripts, as one constant/function will remain unchanged throughout multiple instances. Configuration files are a typical web application pattern that helps make code more modular and straightforward to manage.
Make Sure All Information Going Into Your Database Is Sanitised
SQL injection attacks are more prevalent than you might realize, and to safeguard against future headaches, the only practical solution is sanitizing database inputs.
First, familiarize yourself with common ways that applications may be compromised and how SQL injection attacks occur using examples and this cheat sheet; once this has been accomplished, mysql_real_escape_string can partly relieve these potential threats.
Mysql Real Escape String requires a regular string (learn about data types through this PHP variables guide) and will sanitize it automatically.
Additional safeguards will be applied automatically with HTML special chars (which convert reserved HTML characters).
While In Development Mode, Keep Error Reporting Enabled
At its core, PHP White Screen of Death signals something is wrong; error_reporting and display_errors should both be enabled while developing applications so you can quickly locate errors at run-time.
You can configure these run-time settings either within your php.ini file on your server or via PHP scripts (with some limitations; using the ini_set() function can set display_errors =1).
Enabling error reporting serves a simple purpose: the sooner you identify and fix any mistakes, the faster theyre resolved.
Warning messages issued by PHP seem innocuous enough. Still, they often indicate memory-related problems you can handle. When your application has been built and ready for production use, change these values to remove or minimize error_reporting and display_errors as desired.
Take Care Not To Over Comment Your Code
Though commenting on your code with comments can help document it effectively, commenting on every line isnt essential.
Avoid overcommitting simple things such as MySQL connection code; focus instead on more complicated sections so that they can easily recall what happened there when revisiting them later on.
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Have Your Top Code Snippets Ready
Since you will likely spend much of your PHP development service career writing similar code snippets, having them available at all times will save considerable time and effort.
Thanks to various apps that sync and store code snippet collections for you, having access to this collection, no matter where it may be stored, is always within reach.
Most integrated development projects environments (IDEs), like Eclipses Code Template Storage feature and Dreamweavers Snippets Panel, have built-in features for organizing code snippets.
If multiple computers are involved, however, simply creating an organized directory named "snippets"- possibly synced in the cloud through Dropbox- may also suffice.
To Save Time, Work With A Reputable Source Editor
Your editor should save you time as it will likely become one of your primary tools for working. Syntax highlighting is one key software feature you should seek; additional benefits could include code navigation, hinting, and integrated debugging tools.
Your time savings could be huge. PHPDesigner is one such source code editor for PHP that may come in handy here; take some time to get acquainted with its features by reading online presence tutorials or documentation.
Investing in this area may dramatically enhance your coding process, so take some time to browse this directory of editors for source code editors.
Use An Administration Tool
We know some developers who relish using MySQLs command-line database management system when working with PHP--something we find absurd and ineffective.
While mysqladmin provides valuable skills for administering your databases more rapidly than using mysqladmin directly, other graphical user interfaces (GUI) such as phpMyAdmin provide faster administration/development times than their command line counterparts. phpMyAdmin provides one solution and offers users an open-source alternative: viewing/managing MySQL databases graphically instead of using its command-line counterpart.
Construction and management of databases and their tables, exporting them as SQL files, running queries on them quickly, and optimizing tables can all be quickly accomplished using MySQL database management tools such as phpMyAdmin; creating MySQL users quickly with privileges quickly set up is another nifty feature of using it on web hosts that have it already or installing it takes only minutes; check out this list of the best MySQL management tools or this alternative list of apps as an alternative solution.
Take Advantage Of PHP Framework
At first, it took me some time to see that using a web application development or rapid application development framework would benefit me.
However, initially, there may be an initial learning curve, and youll need to read up on its API; in the long run, you will experience tremendous productivity and efficiency gains; frameworks force developers into employing better web development patterns, which they might otherwise neglect when they build applications from scratch.
When working together or sharing code later, a PHP framework is invaluable as it offers a standardized digital marketing platform for developing web apps.
We quickly came to appreciate its value when hiring other developers - some popular frameworks are CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Symfony, and Zend.
Establish Contact With Other PHP Experts
Your knowledge may not cover every facet. Millions of other individuals are more knowledgeable in some areas. Join a PHP developer forum for dialogue; networking will allow you to discover more efficient approaches for managing tasks you face every day.
Read More: Boost Your Business with PHP Web Development
Notes To Keep In For PHP Developer
Proficient With Computer Languages
PHP developers must be experts at using various programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in their development team field.
Their abilities lie in creating websites or web apps with proper functioning functionality using these languages as coders.
Understanding Of Development Frameworks
PHP developers should possess a thorough knowledge of development frameworks. A development framework refers to an assembly of classes, libraries, and resources that facilitate faster and simpler app creation by developers.
Web developers utilize multiple frameworks when building websites and apps; three of the most frequently employed PHP development frameworks include CodeIgniter, CakePHP, and Laravel, which help create unique sites and apps through these frameworks.
Expertise In Database Technologies
You should seek candidates with experience in database technologies if you wish to hire a PHP developer. A proficient developer must know about different database types and their functions to store and retrieve information from servers via database systems while also helping develop dynamic websites.
PHP developers need to learn to utilize relational database management systems such as MySQL or PostgreSQL in order to build online platforms using databases like these.
At the same time, NoSQL storage requires them to comprehend non-relational systems such as MongoDB.
Understanding Of Software Development Life Cycle
PHP developers need to understand the software development life cycle (SDLC). It encapsulates all steps necessary for testing and maintenance, such as software testing.
Developers should understand the significance of each phase in a software integrated development environment life cycle - analysis, planning, design, and testing. This helps programmers construct reliable applications capable of handling various data types effectively.
Proficiency With Content Management Systems
PHP developers must become adept with content management systems (CMS). A CMS is a software used for website creation and management; famous examples of CMSs on the digital marketing performance today include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal - these CMSs should help PHP developers construct websites quickly.
Proficiency With Software Version Control
PHP developers should become acquainted with version control systems like Git. A version control system helps developers monitor changes made during development and roll back data-driven marketing guides when necessary.
Also, it facilitates sharing via secure repositories, allowing productive team collaboration among PHP developers.
Competence In Code Testing
PHP developers must write and test various codes when developing websites or web apps with PHP, otherwise their creation might fail to function as expected due to improper code testing.
PHP developers should employ multiple testing instruments and methodologies to properly test their code and know typical mistakes they should avoid while writing their codes.
Testing allows developers to pinpoint bugs in the code and address them before handing over a project to its end-users.
PHP developers must possess expertise in testing code to deliver bug-free apps to end users.
Attitude Toward Learning New Knowledge
PHP developers must stay abreast of rapidly shifting technological trends and regularly attend workshops or seminars.
Furthermore, reading books about emerging technologies is also helpful to stay current on these changes.
Knowledge of cutting-edge instruments and technologies quickly becomes outdated if their knowledge doesnt translate to any passion for exploring them, so when selecting PHP developers for your company, make sure they demonstrate an eagerness to discover something new.
Assume Problem-Solving Duties
One of a PHP developers primary duties is managing client inquiries, troubleshooting complex issues, and fixing errors quickly and effectively.
A developer must think logically and devise creative solutions when encountering problems.
A PHP developer must consider several factors when developing solutions for problems involving clients or organizations; including client needs and goals and viability of any potential solutions they propose.
To create effective, workable solutions, they need a deep knowledge of both issues at hand and possible approaches to address them.
Proficiency In Communicative Skills
Building websites or web applications requires significant communication with clients and other project team members, making practical communication skills among PHP developers essential to project success.
PHP developers need excellent oral communication skills to meet client demands effectively and document issues encountered during the development process; additionally they should possess exceptional writing abilities for producing comprehensive documentation of issues encountered and solutions applied during this stage.
Poor communication abilities could result in misunderstandings that detract from the project completion timeline.
Conclusion
Businesses looking to develop an incredible website or web app should enlist the assistance of PHP developers for optimal website and application creation.
When hiring one, businesses must fully understand his abilities and procedures. In this blog post, we will discuss some qualities you should consider.
