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Top 10 PHP Tips And Tricks For New Developers
Are you trying to maximize the abilities of your PHP developers and provide them with the resources they require to produce the greatest online applications?
Then you won’t want to miss out on this article, where we look at some of the most advanced tricks and tips for working with PHP! Get ready to take your development team’s skill set to the next level.
All levels of aspiring developers can profit from brushing up on their knowledge and keeping up with the most recent developments. PHP is one of the most popular programming languages in the world for good reason; it is flexible, powerful, and relatively easy to learn.
Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned pro, we are sure this article will help you come up with new approaches and insights for writing better code. Let’s jump on the tips right away!
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Create a class for repeated tasks
It is a good idea to make a class for that task if you frequently find yourself repeating the same code. This will improve the organization and maintenance of your code.
For example, if you are constantly connecting to a database, create a Database class:
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Don’t use require, require_once, include, or include_once
These functions are used to add other PHP files to your code, but they might have negative effects on maintenance and performance. Use a dependency injection container or a class autoloader to dynamically load your classes instead.
For example, instead of using:
Use an autoloader:
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Make your functions flexible
Make sure your functions are adaptable enough to handle various input types while developing them. Your code will become more reusable and simpler to test as a result.
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Create a function that can handle various forms of input, for instance, rather than one that just works with a certain type of input:
This function accepts both floating point and integer input, and it will verify that the input is numeric before doing the addition.
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Always correct character encoding for a MySQL connection
It’s crucial to confirm that the character encoding is configured correctly before connecting to a MySQL database. This is due to the fact that MySQL uses a different encoding than the majority of web browsers and computer languages, and data may not be stored or retrieved correctly if the encoding is not properly specified.
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Use the following code example to set the character encoding for a MySQL connection:
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Use of Prepared Statements for SQL injection attack
Working with databases raises major security concerns around SQL injection attacks. These take place when a hacker inserts malicious code into a SQL query, resulting in the database returning unexpected results. You can use prepared statements to prevent this. Prepared statements are employed to keep the data being entered into the database and the SQL code separate. The ability of hackers to insert dangerous code into your searches is impeded by this.
In order to use prepared statements, follow this example:
As you can see, the data being entered into the database and the SQL query are two different things. Hackers will find it far more difficult to insert harmful code into your requests as a result.
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Use a switch instead of stringing If Statements
Your code can be more legible and effective if you use a switch statement rather than many if statements to examine the value of a variable. You can use a switch statement to compare the value of a variable to various situations, each of which corresponds to a particular action.
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Every large array work always should be with the chunk
Working with huge arrays in discrete sections rather than processing the entire array at once is frequently more efficient. The PHP method array chunk(), which divides an array into smaller arrays of a given size, can be used to accomplish this.
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HTTP GET and POST Methods
Data can be retrieved from and sent to a server using the HTTP GET and POST protocols, respectively.
An example of the GET method form code is provided here:
In the example above, the data supplied in the form is sent to the submit.php file using the GET method. The submit.php file’s $_GET array can be used to get the data.
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Example code for a form using the POST method:
In this example, the form sends the data that users provide via the POST method to the submit.php file. The submit.php file’s $_POST array can be used to get the data.
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Check variable exists before use
When working with user input, it’s best practice to make sure a variable is present before utilizing it. This can help avoid mistakes and unforeseen outcomes.
Examples of code that checks to see if a variable exists before using it:
In this instance, the program checks to see if the $_GET[‘username’] variable is there before utilizing it to show a greeting. The code displays a message asking the user to enter a username if the variable doesn’t exist.
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Handle ternary operators
When crafting an if-else statement, ternary operators can be used as a shortcut. They are helpful for straightforward conditions where the outcome is either true or false.
An example of ternary operator use in code:
This example’s code checks whether the $age variable’s value is higher than or equal to 18 using a ternary operator. If so, the code sets the $can vote variable to the string “can vote,” otherwise it sets it to the string “cannot vote.” The code then repeatedly displays a message informing the user if they are allowed to vote or not.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the tips and tricks discussed in this blog can greatly help new developers looking to make the most of their PHP development. Understanding these tips and tricks can improve their development efficiency and reduce development time. Furthermore, new developers can develop more powerful and robust applications with this knowledge.
If you need a PHP web development company to create code for your project, get in touch with us now!
FAQ
Some of the most common mistakes that new PHP developers make include the following:
- Not using Object Oriented Programming (OOP) principles: OOP is a powerful way to organize code that allows for efficient reuse and scalability.
- Not understanding how PHP works with databases: PHP is closely related to databases, so understanding how to use them correctly is essential for a successful project.
- Poorly written and inefficient code: Writing code inefficiently or in a difficult way to understand can lead to bugs and other issues.
- Not understanding security principles: Not understanding basic security principles can lead to hackers being able to exploit your code.
- Not using the latest version of PHP: PHP is constantly being improved and updated, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest version.
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Using these tricks and tips, developers can improve their application’s performance, reduce code duplication, improve scalability, and build better applications faster.
The best practices for writing secure PHP code are:
- Use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection.
- Use appropriate data validation functions to check user input.
- Use strong passwords and limit login attempts.
- Use encryption/hashing algorithms to store sensitive information.
- Use a web application firewall to protect your web application from malicious attacks.
- Use the latest version of PHP.
- Limit file uploads.
- Use secure session storage and handle session data securely.
- Avoid using PHP functions that can be vulnerable to exploitation.
- Use a secure coding standard.
