20+ PHP Best Practices That You Must Follow

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Table of Contents
This article outlines essential best practices for PHP, one of the most widely used programming languages. Many beginners and even experienced developers overlook these practices, which can impact code quality and job opportunities. Adopting these practices will help you become a professional developer and write cleaner, more efficient code.

1. Maintain Proper Code Documentation

Proper documentation is critical for code maintainability. Many developers skip writing meaningful comments due to laziness, but this practice helps others understand your code and serves as a reminder for yourself when revisiting it later. For example, a complex function may be clear today but forgotten in a month. Use clear, descriptive comments to make your code accessible to everyone.

2. Follow a Consistent Coding Standard

Adhering to a consistent coding standard is essential, especially in collaborative projects. Inconsistent standards across a team can make code unmanageable and difficult to debug. Adopt a standard (e.g., PSR-12) and stick to it to ensure readability and productivity.

3. Avoid Short Tags

Never use short tags like <? or <%. Always use the full <?php tag to avoid conflicts with XML parsers and ensure compatibility with future PHP versions. Short tags offer no significant time savings and reduce professionalism.

4. Use Meaningful Variable and Function Names

Choose descriptive, grammatically sensible names for variables and functions, such as get_user_data instead of func1. Use consistent conventions (e.g., snake_case or camelCase) to improve code readability and maintainability.

5. Proper Indentation, Whitespace, and Line Length

Use 4-space indentation (avoid tabs due to varying settings across systems) and keep lines under 80 characters for readability. Proper whitespace and formatting make your code cleaner and easier to debug.

6. Single Quotes vs. Double Quotes

Use single quotes for simple strings (e.g., 'Hello') to avoid unnecessary parsing by the PHP interpreter. Use double quotes only when including variables or special characters (e.g., "Hello\n$name") to optimize performance.

7. Avoid Functions Inside Loops

Calling functions inside loops, such as count($array), increases execution time. Store the result in a variable before the loop to improve performance:

// Bad Practice
for ($i = 0; $i <= count($array); $i++) {
    // statements
}

// Good Practice
$count = count($array);
for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
    // statements
}

8. Quote Array Indexes

Always use quotes for array indexes (e.g., $array['key'] instead of $array[key]). Unquoted indexes are treated as constants, which can lead to warnings and bugs if the constant is undefined.

9. Optimize String Handling

For string output, use echo with comma-separated values for the fastest performance, avoiding concatenation or inline variables:

$a = 'PHP';
print "This is my first $a program."; // Slowest
echo "This is my first $a program.";  // Slower
echo "This is my first ".$a." program."; // Faster
echo "This is my first ", $a, " program."; // Fastest

10. Enable Error Reporting During Development

Use error_reporting(E_ALL) during development to catch potential bugs, such as notices and warnings. Disable it in production to avoid exposing sensitive information to users.

PHP Error Reporting

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11. Adopt the DRY Approach

The DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle reduces code redundancy. For example:

// Without DRY
$mysql = mysql_connect('localhost', 'admin', 'admin_pass');
mysql_select_db('wordpress') or die('Cannot Select Database.');

// With DRY
$db_host = 'localhost';
$db_user = 'admin';
$db_pass = 'admin_pass';
$db_name = 'wordpress';
$mysql = mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass);
mysql_select_db($db_name);

Note: The mysql_* functions are deprecated; use mysqli or PDO instead.

12. Avoid Deep Nesting

Minimize deep nesting to improve code readability and debugging. Use logical conditions to flatten code structure and avoid complex, nested logic.

13. Avoid phpinfo() in Root Directory

The phpinfo() function provides detailed server information but should never be left in the root directory, as it exposes security vulnerabilities. Delete the file after use:

14. Leverage the PHP Manual

The PHP manual is a comprehensive resource with detailed documentation and user comments. Use it to deepen your understanding and resolve issues efficiently.

PHP Manual

15. Use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

An IDE (e.g., NetBeans, phpDesigner, PhpStorm, phpEdit) enhances productivity with features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and debugging.

PhpStorm IDE

16. Explore PHP Frameworks

PHP frameworks like CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Zend, and Symfony follow the MVC architecture, simplifying development and enhancing scalability.

CakePHP Framework

17. Develop Locally

Set up a local development environment with a web server (e.g., Apache), PHP, and MySQL using tools like XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP for efficient testing and development.

18. Embrace Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Transition from procedural to object-oriented programming (introduced significantly in PHP 5) for better code organization, flexibility, and maintainability.

19. Encrypt Passwords

Never store passwords as plain text. Use secure hashing algorithms like password_hash() with bcrypt instead of outdated methods like md5() or sha1(). Consider custom algorithms for added security, but ensure they are robust.

Password Encryption

20. Keep PHP Updated

Regularly update PHP to benefit from performance improvements, new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements. Delaying updates can compromise your application’s efficiency and security.

21. Collaborate with Other Developers

Engage with the PHP community on platforms like Stack Overflow and Dream in Code. Asking questions and sharing knowledge fosters learning and growth.

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