5 good php habits

PHP is one of the leading technologies that was doomed several times but eventually managed to rise to the top. Since it already covers 80% of the web, why not give it a try? So, are you ready to explore or master some of the most widely used PHP habits? So, without further ado, let’s get started!

1 Maintain Proper Code Documentation

Maintaining correct code documentation is the first thing to do when doing any PHP web development or any other project. Some newbies, beginners, and even experienced programmers fail to understand the importance of maintaining proper documentation. One of the common reasons for this is that they are too lazy or overconfident.

Conversely, experienced PHP developers or long-time veterans of the technology admit that they spend much more time reading code than developing it. This could be previous versions of their code, evaluating someone else's written documentation, etc. It is therefore important to document these aspects correctly.

For example, you incorporated some critical or complex functionality in a particular project; I'm sure you'll remember it for a day or two, but what about after that? Do you still remember it five years later? of course not! Writing or recording everything is a good practice to consider. Additionally, include appropriate comments to ensure that your code is easy to understand, not just for you but for other PHP developers as well.

2 PHP short tags are a big no-no!

Those who are proficient in PHP must understand its basic principles very well. Use different tags to protect web development projects from other vulnerabilities.

Many PHP developers are looking for different shortcuts to declare PHP using short tags (such as "

3 Do you use reversible encryption to store passwords?

If so, then it’s time for me to let you know that reversible encryption is harmful. First, it is easy to crack and decrypt. So when you try to use reversible encryption, all you do is make your data increasingly vulnerable to bad actors, increasing the likelihood of breaches and breaches. Things are different when you use reversible encryption. Since the encryption and decryption process eventually leaves clear traces of your activity, it is easy for others to monitor or spy on all of your activities. Worse, all other user passwords can be enumerated immediately.

What exactly needs to be done is hash the password using a strong hashing algorithm such as bcrypt or Argonaut. You see, preparing the output and preserving all such algorithms are less vulnerable than encryption algorithms. Therefore, you can protect your passwords to a great extent, not only your passwords but all sensitive data can be well protected. Additionally, hashing algorithms are faster compared to reversible algorithms or encryption algorithms. If speed is critical to you, hashing algorithms are your best choice.

4 Using functions inside loops is taboo!

The next good habit to consider is to never use functions inside loops. If you do this too, please stop now! To some extent, doing so will compromise performance. Using functions inside loops is a good practice, but it depends on the situation.

Assuming that this instruction set opens a database table with 10 million rows, then:

Example of bad loop

int count = GetFullCountFromSomewhere();
for (int i = 0 i < count; i++) {
GetMyRow(i);
WriteMyRow(i);
}
function GetMyRow(i) {
Table table = new Table();
table.Fill(someConnection);
Row row = table.Rows[i];
return row;
}

Example of good loop

Table table = GetMyTable()
for (int i = 0 i < table.Rows.count; i++) {
WriteMyRow(table.Rows[i]);
}
function GetMyTable(i) {
Table table = new Table();
table.Fill(someConnection);
return table;
}

If you take a good look at the above example, you can save enough execution time.

5 Habits to Strengthen PHP Security

Last but not least, a good PHP habit is to never rely on cookies, especially when it comes to security purposes. Cookies are primarily considered to store information about the user. What type of information you might ask? It can be anything from login status to usernames, preferences, and other sensitive or confidential information. Now, do you think cookies are safe? not at all. They are easily damaged.

In addition to cookies, you must also consider limiting access to sensitive files. Since security breaches occur every day, there should be a specific set of files, such as configuration files, database credentials, or source code files, that must be restricted to only trusted users. By restricting their access, several precautions can be taken and sensitive information can be prevented from falling into the wrong hands.

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