Reflections and predictions on how PHP will evolve in 2024, by Viktar Barysevich, Head of PHP at Godel Technologies

What are the biggest trends you have seen over the past year on PHP?

I want to share probably the most important things from my point of view:

Machine Learning Integration

PHP is being used to integrate machine learning (ML) models into web applications. Libraries like Laravel Zero and PHP-ML are making it easier for developers to integrate ML functionalities into their PHP projects.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

PHP remains a popular choice for building content management systems (CMS), such as WordPress and Drupal. These CMSs provide a user-friendly interface for managing website content and simplify the development process.

Security Hardening and Best Practices

Security remains a top priority for PHP developers, as the language has been the target of several vulnerabilities in the past. Developers are increasingly adopting secure coding practices, using static code analyzers, and relying on security libraries to protect their applications.

Has anything surprised you in your technology this year?

In a couple of words, the continued popularity of PHP really surprised me. Despite the rise of newer programming languages, PHP has remained a popular choice for web development. This is partly due to its large community, extensive ecosystem of frameworks and libraries, and mature tools and infrastructure.

What are your tech predictions for 2024? 

This is the most interesting question to be honest, it is always hard to say what we will see in the future. For example, do you remember how chatGPT changed our IT world?

Anyway, I’d like to focus on the following things:

1. Increased adoption of cloud-native PHP: Cloud-native PHP will become more popular in 2024, as developers move towards serverless, containerized, and microservices architectures. Frameworks like Slim and Serverless Framework will continue to play a role in this shift.

2. Continued innovation and growth: PHP is a resilient and adaptable language that has a long history of innovation. In 2024, we can expect to see PHP continue to evolve and grow, addressing the evolving needs of web development.

3. Focus on performance and efficiency: Developers will increasingly focus on improving the performance and efficiency of PHP applications. This will involve using newer versions of PHP.