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How to Be a (PHP) Backend Developer in 2023

Backend development refers to developing the server side of a web application. A good backend developer must have a diverse set of skills.

In this post, we share our thoughts on how to be a backend developer in 2023.

Data Structures and Algorithms

Data structures and algorithms are fundamental knowledge for a backend developer. Data structures and algorithms are the building blocks of computer science. You should gain the basic knowledge of data structures and algorithms, they might not be immediately applicable to the application you are building, but in long term, they will help you learn any skillsets faster in your backend developer career.

To learn Data Structures and Algorithms, check out the free course from KhanaCademy: https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/algorithms.

Programming Language

Some of the most common programming languages used in backend development include Java, Python, and PHP. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. As a PHP development agency, we chose PHP because PHP is a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-learn scripting language. It's commonly used for websites, and many hosting servers support PHP by default.

PHP

You can check out the free resource at https://www.w3schools.com/php/ for learning the basics of PHP.

After learning the basics of PHP programming language and getting familiar with its syntax.

Laravel

You can now start learning the most popular PHP framework Laravel. As a framework, Laravel provides various libraries, so you do not have to repeat the same work.

A free resource on learning Laravel is provided at https://laracasts.com/series/laravel-8-from-scratch.

Database

A database serves as a room inside an office where all the essential information is stored. In the web development world, a few types of databases you should get yourself familiar with.

  • MySQL: MySQL is the oldest, also one of the most popular databases to use in web application development. It is normally used to store data related to your application's business logic.
  • PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL is a database management system written in C and used by businesses that deal with huge amounts of data.
  • MongoDB: MongoDB is one of the most popular NoSQL databases.
  • Redis: As a distributed, in-memory key-value database, it is typically used as a cache and a message broker.
  • Elasticsearch: Elasticsearch is a full-text search engine based on Lucene. It is typically used to build a search engine for your application.

To learn the topics above, we gather some free resources:

Server Administration

The server is the backend for any applications, which is why we call ourselves backend developers. Any application needs a server to run.

To be a backend developer, you will need basic server administration knowledge, if not expert level. You will at least be capable of configuring a server, performing database back up, and troubleshooting simple server errors.

To learn the basic server administration, head over to https://serversforhackers.com/, you will gain all the knowledge required to be a backend developer.

The End

To summarise, you can learn pretty much everything for free to be a PHP backend developer in 2023:

Data Structures and Algorithms

Programming Language

Database

Server Administration