New PHP Features That You Should Embrace For Better Development

There are many programming languages in which to develop your applications and systems, but choosing which to use for what work has been a major dilemma among developers. Some of the languages that are common include Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Java, Python, and of course you have to use a scripting language like HTML, and for styling you need CSS. However, this script is not meant to highlight all the above languages, but will talk more about PHP and its usage and features. PHP has seen massive improvements and most of these changes are features that were added when PHP 7 was released. Here are few you should know about that will help you to program better.

Class constant visibility
Using class constants helps you to offer meaningful names for select values used in a class. The constants were public before the update to PHP 7, but you now have a chance to alter visibility, which points to a massive improvement in the object oriented form of syntax offered by PHP. If you are not looking to expose classes to the outside world, it’s advisable to apply this feature as it easily executes your needs.

Speed
Another addition to PHP 7 that you will love is the improvement in the speed of the language. This has come as a major boost to developers looking to create apps that are modern and matching with the needs of clients. The language was developed further to offer a good alternative to other scripting languages, which also have a great library and features that are developer-friendly. Its gradual improvement has helped to cement the position the language has held for years, and this might bring about an increase in usage although other technologies like Node have been on an upward trend.

Type declarations
This basically means you have to specify the type of variable that is set instead of letting PHP to set it automatically. Experts like David Lubbat point that PHP is a weak typed language, and for this reason it does not require that you have to declare data types. You will learn that variables come with data types and you are able to do radical things including adding an integer to a string without getting an error. The new changes in the language have made it possible to define what is supposed to occur to help you get the right outcome. It also makes code clean and easier to read.

Return type declarations
Another thing that makes PHP a good language is the fact that it supports return type declarations, which work with all same types of arguments. This feature allows you to write clean code that you can easily follow up, which makes debugging an easy task should there arise an issue. The feature forces things to happen the way they are intended so you will not have to always end up making syntactical mistakes.

Error handling
Another improvement to PHP 7 that you might want to embrace is the error handling capabilities added to the language. In the past, this was impossible in PHP and it made it difficult to identify where errors are coming from, but with the new changes you will easily spot parts of your code that need changes or have errors. Whenever a fatal error occurs, an exception is shown. You can change the behavior of the system by tinkering with the php.ini file, which instructs the system which type of errors to expose. Overall, the language is made to allow developers to have easy time when going about their work using the language.

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