Is PHP a Good Choice for a Freelance Programmer?
Freelance programming is becoming more and more popular, and many people are trying to find the language that suits them best in order to get into the market as soon as possible. PHP is easily one of the most popular languages in that department, and the number of people writing PHP programs as freelancers can be quite inspiring. However, if you’ve got no experience in it, can it make the right choice for your freelance ventures?
The truth is, PHP is a double-edged knife when it comes to newcomers, though its positives tend to outweigh the negatives. It’s easy to get into and learn the basics, but also leaves a lot to be explored and perfected, creating plenty of opportunities for building your skills. However, perhaps the most important thing to consider about PHP is the database interaction – as a freelance programmer offering PHP services, you should be well-acquainted with at least one major database suite, and this creates additional things to learn and master, which can easily make the whole job more daunting.
Then there’s the whole issue with security – something which really deserves its own note, but it’s sufficient to say that any freelance PHP programmer worth their salt must have top notch security in their websites, and it’s one of the points where newbies fail most often. Security in Internet applications is a whole philosophy in itself, and you’ll have to dedicate a lot of time to learning that as well – so take this into consideration too.