Difference between PHP and C

Many developers will indeed agree that comparing C Programming and PHP is unfair because they differ in web development. PHP is by far the most famous serverside scripting language. JavaScript works with things on the client end without ever returning to the server, while PHP manages things on the application server. PHP is based on the C programming language, thus everyone with a basic understanding of C will find it easy to learn PHP.

What is PHP?

PHP is a general−purpose programming language that is primarily utilized in the development of websites. It was developed in 1994 by DanishCanadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf. The PHP Reference Implementation is now being produced by the same PHP Group. "Hypertext Preprocessor" is what PHP stands for.

• PHP code is normally processed by a PHP interpreter, which can be installed on a web server in the form of a module, a daemon, or a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) executable program.

• The result of constructing and executing a PHP code, which may be any kind of information (such as created HTML or picture data), will in fact form either the entirety or a piece of a Response message on a web server.
• This message could be in response to a request that was sent to the web server. It is possible to orchestrate or enable the generation of that response by using any one of a variety of online layout systems, website content management systems, and web frameworks that are already available.
• In addition, PHP may be utilized for a number of programming tasks besides just web development. These tasks include the commanding of industrial robot drones and stand-alone graphical programs. It is possible to execute PHP code straight from the command prompt.

PHP is a general-purpose programming language that is especially well−suited to server−side website design. It's because PHP is typically executed on a web server. PHP was first designed to be used for server−side website design.

The PHP runtime executes any PHP code that is contained within a requested file. This functionality is typically put to use in order to generate dynamic content for use on the web or dynamic images that can be used on websites or in other contexts. It can also be used for client−side applications that have graphical user interfaces and instruction typescript.

Example

<?php 
   // Sample Program in PHP
   echo 'Hello World'; 
?>

What is C Programming?

Denis Ritchie created the programming language C in AT&T Bell's labs in 1972. C11 is the most recent version.

• C is a procedural programming language that uses a static type system. It can also support structured coding, lexical variable scoping, and recursion.
• C Programming was designed with constructs that are straightforward to convert into hardware instructions.
• Assembly language programs have been known to use C Programming. These applications include, as examples, operating systems and a wide variety of application software for system designs ranging from supercomputers to PLCs and embedded systems. Other examples of these applications include graphical user interfaces.
• C was designed to enable low−level memory access and language constructs that easily map to machine code, all while requiring very little in the way of runtime support. Despite its low−level capabilities, the programming language was designed to facilitate work on multiple platforms when it was first developed.
• A standards−compliant C language can be constructed with portability in mind, and it only requires a few small changes to the source code. This language might then be built for a number of other computer operating systems.
• C supports structured programming, variable scoping, and recursion, just like the majority of procedural programming under the ALGOL tradition.

Because of the system's static type, undesirable operations cannot be performed. In C, all of the code that can be executed is placed inside of subroutines. Values (except arrays) are sent in the form of function arguments. Pass−by−reference can be imitated in C by transmitting the values of pointers in a direct message.

In C programming, semicolon is used to terminate a statement, while curly brackets are used to organize the groupings of statements.

Example

#include<stdio.h>
int main() {
   printf("Hello World!");
}

Comparative Characteristics between PHP and C

Let's check some of the similarities between PHP and C Programming:

Syntax

• The code does not care if there are blanks.
• The completion of a sentence is accomplished through the use of semicolons.
• Invoking a function is quite similar in both PHP and C.
• When enclosing a code in a block, you will typically use curly brackets.
• PHP can support C and C++ comment styles.

Operators

In PHP, all types of operators work similarly to how they do in C. This includes operators for basic arithmetic, Boolean operations, assignment, and comparison.

Control Structure

• Both languages have primary control structures that operate in a manner that is comparable to one another. These control structures include if−else, while, for, do−while, and others.

• Both PHP and C have built−in support for the break and continue statements.
• Switch operates in exactly the same way, with the exception that strings can also be used to identify cases in PHP.

Function Prototype

Both PHP and C provide names for user−defined functions that are identical to one another.

Difference between PHP and C

The following table highlights the major differences between PHP and C Programming Language:

Key	PHP	C Programming
Developed by	PHP was initially released in 1994 as a product of the PHP GROUP.	Denis Ritchie created the programming language C in AT&T Bell's labs in 1972.
Purpose	Server−Side	Language for procedural programming
Data types	PHP only supports two types of numerical data: integers, which are comparable to long in C, and doubles (can be compared to double in C) In PHP, string lengths are completely arbitrary, and the language does not offer a character data type.	C is comprised of Primary Data Types (such as int, double, float, char, void, etc.) Derived data types (array, structure, union and pointer)
Structure	Because of arrays and objects, there is no requirement for a structure type.	C has a structure type.
Prototypes	In PHP, a function is not required to be declared before it is implemented, hence the programming language does not make use of prototypes.	Prototypes exist in C because functions must be specified before they may be implemented.

Conclusion

The primary difference is that C is a procedural programming language, whereas PHP is a server−side coding language. Since the debut of Node.js, JavaScript has gained popularity as a serverside new technology for developing scalable apps.

When it comes to web development, PHP serves many purposes. It all comes down to the purpose you intend to use it for. Along with its simplicity and open−source nature, PHP has a modest edge over C, while C has its own advantages in programming or designing operating systems. PHP is a general−purpose programming language that may be used to create custom online data.