Embracing PHP: My Journey & the Evolution of PHP 8+ 🚀

Introduction

I've always had a soft spot for PHP - and not just because it was one of the first web programming languages I learned. Back in 2023, during my time at Kenswed Technical Vocational Training College, I embarked on what turned out to be a deeply gratifying exploration of PHP: from the fundamentals of syntax and control flow, to building full-fledged, real-world web projects using PHP alongside HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Bootstrap.

What followed was not simply learning to code - it was watching PHP evolve, particularly through the PHP 8.x era, and recognising how this evolution has had profound impact on the web-community, on performance, on developer experience, and ultimately on how we build modern web apps.

In this blog I want to:

• Share a little about why I love PHP and how it became such a strong cornerstone of my skill-set.

• Walk through the major features and impact of PHP 8.0 and newer (8.1, 8.2, 8.3…) in the web ecosystem.

• Talk about how I used PHP with HTML/CSS/JS/Bootstrap to build some of my own projects and what I learned along the way.

• Touch on frameworks (especially Laravel) that I adopted later (late 2024–early 2025) and how they changed my perspective.

• Offer some practical insights for anyone learning PHP now and thinking of building their own projects.

Let's dive in.

Why I Love PHP

There are so many reasons, but here are some of the strongest ones for me:

• Accessibility & ubiquity – PHP runs on nearly all web hosts, is open-source, well-documented, and a great entry-point for web-development. When at Kenswed, PHP was one of the first languages I learned because it allowed me to build something real and tangible - a dynamic web page instead of just static HTML.

• Fast feedback loop – You write PHP code, hit refresh, and you see results. No long compile cycles. This sort of immediacy for someone learning was so motivating.

• Flexibility + maturity – PHP has been around for decades, has a huge ecosystem (libraries, frameworks, community), and yet it keeps modernising. With PHP 8+ especially, you see the language stepping up in type-safety, performance, syntax improvements.

• Web-centric – PHP is built for the web: file uploads, sessions, database interaction, templating, routing - it can all be done quite directly. That made it ideal for the kinds of web apps I wanted to build early on.

• Growth path – Starting simple PHP (procedural) and then moving to object-oriented PHP, then frameworks like Laravel… it offers a clear path of growth. And that journey has mirrored my own growth as a developer.

While many new languages and frameworks are popular nowadays, PHP still holds its own - especially for web apps, for backend APIs, and for people in technical-vocational settings who want to build real things quickly without deep tooling overhead.

PHP 8.x A Game Changer

When I began at Kenswed in 2023, PHP was already at version 8.x territory (8.0, 8.1, 8.2 ). What struck me was how much PHP had matured. Here are some of the key features and impacts (with how I saw them from a learner’s/dev’s perspective):

Major Features of PHP 8.0

• Named arguments: you can call functions by parameter names so you don’t need to pass all optional ones in order. (PHP)

• Union types: e.g. int|string as a parameter or return type - this gives stronger typing. (PHP.Watch)

• Attributes (aka annotations): metadata you can attach to classes, methods in a formal way. (PHP.Watch)

• Null-safe operator (?->): helps chaining property/method access when intermediate value might be null. (PHP.Watch)

• Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation: this added performance potential (though in web apps the gains vary). (Cloudways)

• Constructor property promotion: less boilerplate in classes. (Kinsta®)

These features helped PHP feel more modern, allowed me to write cleaner code, and made stepping into object-oriented programming more natural.

PHP 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 & Beyond Evolution

• PHP 8.1: introduced things like readonly properties, enums, improved performance and type-safety. (Pressable)

• PHP 8.2: brought readonly classes (so you mark a class as readonly and all its properties inherit that), new random extension/engine, deprecation of dynamic properties, stronger type system (DNF types, stand-alone null, true, false). (Kinsta®)

• Benchmarking shows real performance gains: e.g. on frameworks like Symfony, moving from 8.1 → 8.2 → 8.3 gave measurable request per second improvements. (Kinsta®)

• PHP 8.3 (and future 8.x) continues the trend: typed class constants, new json_validate() function, improved Randomizer etc. (Stitcher)

Impact on the Web-Community

• Better performance for web apps: The benchmarks are encouraging (for example with PHP 8.3 showing up to ~40-+% higher request throughput in some tests) (Kinsta®)

• Modern language features: Stronger typing, union types, attributes make PHP more appealing to developers used to other modern languages like TypeScript, C#, Java.

• Ecosystem growth: Frameworks (Laravel, Symfony, etc) and libraries are adopting these new features, so writing code in PHP today is much more enjoyable.

• Relevance in new projects: Many legacy sites ran older PHP versions; with PHP 8+ the message is clear: upgrade, modernise, and you can stay competitive.

• Learning path: For those of us learning now (for example at vocational training colleges in Kenya), learning PHP 8 means you’re not just learning an old language, you’re learning a language that is modern and relevant.

From my personal angle, working in PHP 8.x meant less frustration with language-quirks, better code readability, and I found the transition to frameworks smoother.

My Project Journey: PHP + HTML/CSS/JS/Bootstrap

At Kenswed I used PHP to build real projects, combining server-side logic (PHP) with front-end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap) and later frameworks. I’ll highlight two of my projects, what they were about, and what I learnt.

Project 1: LandlordPro

URL: https://landlordpro.codewithsky.co.ke/
What it is: A property management system / dashboard for landlords to manage properties, tenants, rent payments etc.
What I used:

• PHP for backend logic (CRUD operations: create property, tenant, payments)

• MySQL (or some database) for storing data

• HTML/CSS + Bootstrap for front-end layout and responsiveness

• JavaScript (vanilla or jQuery) for client-side interactivity (e.g., dynamic forms)
  What I learnt:

• How to build a multi-page web app, with forms, validations, sessions, login/logout logic.

• Importance of separation of concerns: not doing everything in one giant PHP file, but organising code (e.g., models/controllers/views).

• How Bootstrap helps make UI responsive quickly.

• How security matters: sanitizing input, protecting against SQL injection, using proper sessions.

• How to deploy (host, domain, point DNS, test live site) real world!

Project 2: NairobiAquaTrack

URL: https://nairobiaquatrack.codewithsky.co.ke/
What it is: A tracking/datalogging system for water operations in Nairobi e.g., water quantity, output etc.
What I used:

• PHP backend (with appropriate logic for tracking records)

• HTML/CSS/Bootstrap front-end, dashboard, charts.

• JS for dynamic UI: maybe filtering, tables, interactive charts.
  What I learnt:

• How domain knowledge can merge with programming to solve real-world problems.

• How to build dashboards: list views, detail views, user roles (admin(govt) vs viewer(households) etc.

• How to iterate: start with minimal features, then add improvements (filtering, reports, export etc).

My Learning Timeline & Framework Adoption

Here’s how my journey shaped up:

1. 2023 (at Kenswed) – I learned basic PHP (procedural style), HTML/CSS, JS, Bootstrap among other languages and frameworks. Built simple apps and gradually more ambitious ones.

2. Late 2023 – Early 2024 – I improved my PHP skills: object-oriented PHP, better database design, security, code organisation.

3. Late 2024 into early 2025 – I adopted Laravel (or at least started exploring it). Laravel brought many “ready features” (routing, ORM/Eloquent, templating with Blade, authentication scaffolding) that gave me a higher-level way to build PHP web apps.

   • While PHP alone is powerful, frameworks like Laravel accelerate development, enforce good structure, and allow you to scale your projects more cleanly.

   • I found the modern PHP 8+ features paired exceptionally well with Laravel’s design, making the whole ecosystem feel contemporary.

4. Now – I feel confident building full web apps end-to-end: front-end UI (Bootstrap/HTML/JS), backend PHP logic (using Laravel when appropriate), deployment, maintenance and iteration.

Practical Tips for PHP Learners

Since I learnt PHP in a vocational setting and built real projects, here are some tips I'd share:

• Start by building something real - even a small CRUD (Create-Read-Update-Delete) app helps solidify PHP, database, HTML/CSS/JS together.

• Use HTML/CSS/Bootstrap + JS alongside PHP - don't just write backend; your user interface matters. A nice UI improves your mindset and your motivation.

• Focus on fundamentals first - PHP syntax, variables, loops, arrays, functions, then move to OOP (classes, objects), then to frameworks.

• Leverage new PHP 8+ features - Use union types, named parameters, null-safe operator etc. They’ll make your code cleaner and more robust.

• Structure your code - Don’t dump everything in one file. Use folders (models, views, controllers), follow conventions, make your code readable.

• Security matters - Learn about sanitizing input, escaping output, sessions, password hashing, SQL injection, XSS.

• Use version control (Git) - Even if you’re doing projects alone, version control helps: you can track changes, revert mistakes, share your code.

• Deploy live - If possible get your project on a live server (even a cheap shared hosting) so you experience real-world issues: domain, DNS, hosting config, server logs.

• Iterate and improve - Your first version doesn’t need to be perfect. Get feedback, refactor, add features. That’s how learning deepens.

• Explore frameworks - Once comfortable with PHP, pick up Laravel (or other PHP frameworks) to build larger projects more efficiently.

• Stay updated - PHP keeps evolving. Using PHP 8.x (or later) means you’re writing modern code. And you’ll make yourself more employable or project-ready.

A Nod of Gratitude 🙏

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a huge thanks to my lecturer at Kenswed, Mr Stanley, for teaching PHP so well. His patience, real-world examples and encouragement helped me fall in love with PHP. From explaining sessions and cookies, to guiding us through building our first web apps, his teaching planted the seeds for what I’m doing today. Thank you, Mr Stanley.
(If you’re reading this - you helped shape my journey.)

Why PHP Still Matters

Some folks say “isn’t PHP old? Isn’t everyone using Node, Go, Python?” True - the tech-landscape is broad and there are many languages. But here’s why PHP still matters, especially in my context:

• The web runs on it - many websites globally still use PHP. There’s immense ecosystem, hosting support, library support.

• Easy to get started with, and yet capable of large scale applications.

• With PHP 8+ the language has caught up in modern features (type system, performance, good syntax).

• Frameworks like Laravel make PHP development very productive.

• For vocational training, for small businesses, for freelancers in Kenya (or anywhere) it’s a practical language to learn and to build with.

• Learning PHP can open doors: full-stack web dev, backend logic, APIs, working with databases, building real systems.

Final Thoughts

I began with PHP because it let me build something real quickly. I stuck with PHP because it kept evolving, because it allowed me to level up, and because I found the joy in solving problems, writing code that mattered, building web apps that people could actually use. The era of PHP 8+ has been a turning point - stronger language, stronger ecosystem, more future-proof.

As you read this, remember: start wherever you are, build small, keep learning, keep iterating. Use HTML/CSS/JS/Bootstrap to make your front-end shine; use PHP on the backend to make things dynamic; structure your code; focus on security; deploy live; adopt modern features; and when you’re ready pick a framework (Laravel or others) to take things further.

Quick Recap - Why PHP 8+ is Exciting

• Named parameters, union types, attributes, null-safe operator in PHP 8.0. (PHP.Watch)

• Stronger type-system and features like readonly classes, DNF types in PHP 8.2. (PHP.Watch)

• Real performance gains in frameworks when using PHP 8.1/8.2/8.3. (Kinsta®)

• Tremendous value for learning, building, deploying real web apps.

• Great fit for the current web-development landscape and for learners in vocational/training settings.

Question for You

Are you a programmer (or aspiring to be one)? What languages do you like or think about learning - maybe PHP, JavaScript, Python, Go, or something else? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!