PHP/criticism

PHP is a popular target for criticism, but much of it seems to be based on either (a) older versions of PHP, identifying problems which have since been fixed, or (b) based on a lack of understanding (e.g. of language genres in general or the options available for doing things properly).

Negative

• /woozle
• PHP Sadness: some carefully-documented issues with PHP, actively maintained
• 2012-04-09 PHP: a fractal of bad design
• 2006-07-22 Why Global Variables in PHP is Bad Programming Practice
• 2004-04-18 un-PHP-ing my web site: a LiveJournal entry critical of PHP

Neutral

• 2002 Experiences of Using PHP in Large Websites

Counters

• 2024-11-19 PHP is Legacy, in 2024: a Vonage developer asks why people think PHP is bad. One big reason may be that MacOS says it is, but there are others. They generally no longer apply.
• 2024-09-06 Look out, kids: PHP is the new JavaScript: despite the title, this is praise (and an exploration of Laravel
  • «[...] a chap named Ryan Dahl introduced a way to execute JavaScript code outside a web browser. What a moment that was. You mean to tell me that I can write JavaScript everywhere?» ...but why would anyone want to use JavaScript if they didn't absolutely have to? —Woozle
• 2015-12-16 Contempt Culture "I'd been making critical comments about PHP the language, and PHP developers, nothing more than standard “PHP sucks” sort of language. The same thing I'd been doing, and supported in doing, for years. [..] Getting called out was hard..."