Some most advanced PHP development tools that every developer must use

PHP or Hypertext Pre-processor, previously known as Personal Home Page, is a programming language that help developers to build dynamic web contents which interact with databases. It was first released in the year 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf as a small open-source project which developed further as more people got introduced to it. Now, PHP is the fastest and most commonly used server-side scripting language for creating web apps and sites. It is famous for its features which help developers to do their work easily like – detailed documentation, huge community, ready-to-use scriptures and well supported frameworks.

Today, there are a bunch of developmental tools available in the market for PHP which helps to increase the work efficiency of the language even more. These tools act as IDEs where developers can effectively build feature-rich PHP projects.

Let us discuss some of these advanced PHP tools that every developer must know and use while working with PHP.

PHPStorm

PHPstorm is the most common and standard option among the various tools due its lightweight and extremely fast and smooth working ability. It works very well with different PHP frameworks like Symfoni, Yii, Zend Framework, CakePHP, etc and CMS like Magento, WordPress. PHPStorm boast on its features and specialities like code completion, code re-arranger, zero configuration debugging, and most of all, it supports languages like JavaScript, Visual Basic, C, C++, and C#.

Zend Studio

Zend Studio is known for its optimal speed. It does not take any extra effort or time while writing and debugging code in Zend Studio. It supports PHP 7 and debug scripts using X-ray,  Xdebug and Zend Debugger. Some of its special features include indexing and searching PHP code, faster performance in validation, Zend Framework and Zend_Tool Integration. You can also extend Zend Studio by Eclipse plug-ins as Zend Studio supports them.

Eclipse

Eclipse is a complete developmental tool that give developers the freedom to choose from a wide range of plugins which makes it very easy to simplify complex PHP code. It allows you to customise and extend IDE according to the need of your project. It supports both GUI and non GUI applications and have features like syntax highlighting, code templates, code navigation, content assist. It also supports multiple languages like ABAP, Ada, C, C++, Haskell, COBOL, D, JavaScript, Fortran, Java, Julia, Perl, Lua, NATURAL, PHP, Prolog, Ruby, Python, R, Lasso, Rust, Scala, Groovy, Scheme, Clojure, and Erlang.

Sublime Text

It is the top text editor for PHP developers. Sublime Text is not a proper IDE. You can make it a suitable editor for PHP applications by installing certain plugins and packages. It is cross platform, source code editor that supports all the popular programming and mark-up languages. Some of the features of Sublime Text are split editing, instant project switch, distraction free ode, plugins API. You can change any line of code using this editor.

Cloud 9

Cloud 9 is an open sourced cloud based IDE that offers developing environment for various programming languages. Developers can use the pre-configured environments called ‘Workspace’ and create web applications with features like browser compatibility testing and live preview. Cloud 9 has various features like real-time language analysis, tabbed file management, integrated debugger, built-in image editor, code reformatting.

Due to its cloud nature, you can take your PHP projects anywhere and collaborate with you colleagues using its collaborative coding features.

CodeLobster

CodeLobster is another popular IDE that supports various PHP frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Magento, etc. When using this IDE, you do not need to remember the names of arguments, functions, attributes, tags, as CodeLobster has a autocomplete feature for HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and CSS. Other features include syntax highlighting, SQL manager, code validator and function parameters display.

Keep in mind that the development tools that are mentioned in this blog are not the only ones available in the market. There are various PHP tools that are present in the market, paid and free. The tools we have listed are among the most popular and commonly used tools. They are packed with rich features and functions that help developers to quickly and easily create PHP web applications.

Related Content : Some Modern Features Of C++ That Make It Popular Still Now

What is Web 2.0 and what is its advantages over Web 1.0?

With the world evolving and so much technological advancement happening all around, the internet or the world wide web is bound to evolve as well. You might have not noticed in detail but the internet we use today is quite different and advanced from when it was first introduced. In the early years, the internet, mostly, used to have static web sites and personal sites. The interaction or the engagement of people/users were very limited. The internet was mainly used for finding information which were coming directly from the servers. This was the first generation of world wide web or as experts like to call it, Web 1.0.

It was after the year 2000, when more user-generated content and information started being available over the internet and with the rise of various social media platforms we ushered into the second generation of the internet. This new generation of the internet is what experts refer to as Web 2.0. We are currently living in the age of Web 2.0. The term was first coined by Darci Dinucci in the year 1999 and was popularized by Tim O’Reilly and Dale Dougherty in 2004. According to Tim O’Reilly, “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as a platform, and any attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.”

In more simpler words, Web 2.0 means using the internet and its various applications or tools in such a way that people can freely express themselves online and have the opportunities to share and collaborate with other people.

Web 2.0 has made our life easier. There are many advantages of Web 2.0 over its previous generation of the internet. Let us discuss them:

These are some basic advantages of Web 2.0. If you think about it, there are many more features and advantages of Web 2.0. This new generation of internet and its various tools and applications like – Wikipedia, WordPress, YouTube, Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Google Docs, Drive, etc, has really had our life much easier and the overall internet experience more pleasant. Web 2.0 is very advanced and is bound to evolve even more.

ALSO READ: Different Types of Digital Marketing Techniques and Their Uses

Why Python is considered the best in Artificial Intelligence?

With the emergence of virtual assistants like ‘Siri’, ‘Alexa’, ‘Google Assistant’ and many more, we can surely say that we are in the age of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. Every tech giant, all around the world, is racing to achieve it but it is not an easy task. Hours and hours of coding goes behind into making an AI do even the simplest of task. There are many programming languages available in the tech market which help developers to do their work among which the most popular is Python.

Python is a general purpose, high level, interpreted programming language developed by Guido van Rossum. It is the successor of ABC programming language and was first released in the year 1991. Python supports multiple programming paradigms which includes structured, object-oriented and functional programming. It is dynamically-typed and garbage-collected. In this blog, we discuss some of the features and reasons which makes Python the best for Artificial Intelligence.

Simple & Consistent

Developing AI requires solving complex algorithms. Pythons helps developers to easily solve those. It is easy to learn which is why Python is the first choice of many developers. Python is also very intuitive compared to the other programming languages and helps greatly when many developers are working on the same code. The simple environment of Python helps developers to focus on solving the AI problems rather than the technicalities of programming languages which also helps to reduce the overall time required to do the work.

Extensive Library

In the programming world, libraries is referred to the collection of pre-compiled codes that the users/developers can use to optimise their tasks. One of the best feature of Python which makes it perfect for developing AI is that Python has a large collection of libraries specially built for the purpose of AI which includes NumPy, Pytorch, Keras, Scikit-learn, Pandas, TensorFlow, Theano, and many more. This means that when you need to run an algorithm, all you have to do is install and run one of these libraries according to your needs and your work will be done in an instant.

Flexibility

As mentioned earlier, Python is a dynamically typed programming language which makes it incredibly flexible. It allows user to choose between OOPS approach and scripting. There is no hard and fast rule on how to approach and build a feature using Python. The flexibility of Python allows users to choose from the different programming styles , mainly :

• Imperative Style – It is a basic style of programming with commands that tells how a computer should interpret the given commands.

• Object-oriented Style – This style of programming follows the concept of object and class.

• Functional/Declarative Style – In this style of programming, information is declared about the sequence of performing operations.

• Procedural Style – Under this style, developers follow a step by step format which helps different aspect like iteration, selection, modularisation and sequencing.

Platform Independent

Another feature that makes Python popular is platform independence. This means Python can be executed on any framework and is compatible with all the major platforms like Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac-OS and more. As such, Python can be used to make independent applications on the various platforms and these applications can be effective and utilised on different frameworks without requiring a Python translator. This way, Python also help to save a lot of time and effort.

Great Visualization

We have already discussed that Python has a great collection of library and some of these libraries are also the perfect choices for visualisations. In AI development, it is very important for developers to represent information accurately and in a manner where it is easily readable. Libraries like Matplotlib help data scientist to access histograms, graphs, charts, and plots which can be used for better representation and demonstration of data and information ensuring accurate reports.

Artificial intelligence is constantly evolving with technological advancement and we need to go with flow. With the simplicity that Python provides and it’s extensive libraries, Python has become a favourite among the AI developers as it increases their work accuracy and cuts short the overall time. Considering the features and popularity, it can be said that Python is best for AI development.

Also Read:- Business benefits of Laravel development services

Why Custom 404 Page is More Important for a Better User Experience

When you use the internet and surf between websites, at some point or the other, you will come across a page which will display the message – ”Sorry, page not found”. This particular page is called the 404 error page. According to google :

“a 404 page is what a user sees when they try to reach a non-existent page on your site (because they’ve clicked on a broken link, the page has been deleted or they’ve mistyped a URL).”

So, when a person clicks on a broken link or tries to enter a page that has been deleted or makes a mistake of typing a wrong URL, that’s when a 404 page appears as there is nowhere else to go.

404 error pages are generally frustrating to the visitors but if it is used correctly it can help not only to retain visitors but keep them on your website and pursue them to check out other sections of your website even if they had landed on the error page which is why custom 404 pages are very important for a better user experience.

Features to Include

Some basic features that your custom 404 page needs to include for making it more attractive are :-

• NAVIGATION –

This is first and most important aspect of a custom 404 page. Landing on an empty or a stagnate page with just the error message displaying can be highly irritating and frustrating. You need to at least customize it so that your 404 page has a redirection link to your homepage or a search option through which visitors can search what they are looking for. Many custom 404 pages goes beyond and offers additional links to other contents within the website. Some even offer a ‘report filling’ section through which visitors can report about the error or ‘chatbox’ which can help visitors to find what they are looking for. This way any visitor who lands your error page will keep on engaging with your website and you will not lose the traffic.

• TONE –

The overall tonality of your 404 error page should sync with your website. This means the theme, colour, design and feel of your error page should match with your website. You can add images and logos of your website to the error page, giving it an attractive look. Some error pages even features the whole menu section of the website giving the page an overall same look as the main site.

• CREATIVITY –

Technically, there is no limit to how much creative you can get with your custom 404 page. You can add jokes, quirky quotes, and other interesting and fun elements. In the end, you just need to be creative so that when your visitor land on a error page, they are a bit entertained before they are redirected.

Importance of Custom 404

Custom 404 pages help to enhance the user experience. Basic 404 pages are boring and does not help in anyway. If a visitor lands on your default 404 page, he/she will be simply confused and would want to quickly get out of there meaning you will lose web traffic. A custom 404 page does the opposite. It helps to retain the visitors and web traffic. You can customise your page in ways which can help to take the confusion away. Perhaps, someone typed in the wrong address, or may be the page they are looking for does not exist anymore. Your custom 404 pages can help visitors to understand the problem by displaying the reason.

Another way in which custom 404 helps visitor is by redirecting them to what they were looking for or other relevant topics. When your 404 page feature links which redirects visitors to other contents in your website, visitors may halt and check them out. This way you don’t lose any web traffic. And if your error page is quirky and interesting enough, visitors might even share them which will attract more users and web traffic as a result.

Ultimately, it needs to be said that with today’s competitive online market and SEO up rise, you can not just ignore the importance of a custom 404 page. Even if you have a high quality website with intricate developmental details, you can not guaranty that your visitors won’t ever face the 404 error page which is why you need to have a solid custom 404 page.

Also Read: How to Create An Attractive Landing Page to Increase Sales

How Google Keeps Their Search Relevant And Useful For The Users

When you open Google, the first thing that comes to the screen is the search option. Once you type in the word and hit the search button, numerous links related to the topic becomes available to you in a matter of seconds. But how does Google do it? Google has undergone a number of changes through the years to keep their search engine agile and relevant.
According to Danny Sullivan, Public Liaison for Search, Google search algorithms are processed with complex math equations that rely on numerous variables, and last year alone, Google has made more than 3,200 changes to their search systems. Let us look at some of these changes and newly added features which helps Google to be on top of its game:

Featured Snippets

It is a unique way of showcasing the web page which contains the most relevant and credible information. When a web page appears as a ‘featured snippet’, it is at the top of the search result list. Due to its positioning, Google has also laid down strict standards for a web page to be featured as a snippet. Any kinds of abusive, harmful, hateful, or disrespectful topics gets taken down by Google.

Relevant Facts And Contents

The main goal of Google is to provide facts and contents according to what is searched. For doing so Google implements the Knowledge Graph. It is the function of the graph to automatically collect information about people, places and things happening in the world from various sources like the web, databases, licensed data, user feedbacks. All information from the graph is supposed to be facts and is presented as such.

Autocomplete Searches

Autocomplete and Related searches are tools which help users to navigate quickly through searches. By predicting what the user is typing and trying to search, the autocomplete helps to save a lot of time of the user. Google has also provided a section, “People also search for”, where links of various topics relating to the one you’ve searched are provided. If you are unsatisfied with the search results, you can go through these links to find what you are looking for.

Web Rankings

Google doesn’t manually collect or arrange the order of the search results. It is an automated system which determines the order of the list according to the word you have searched. The webpage with the most relevancy appears at the top of the search results. This helps the user to quickly find what they are looking for.

Google is constantly innovating to make their search engine useful and relevant as much as possible. They work hard to design various features to be user friendly so that the end experience is absolutely best.

Read More: Everything You Need To Know About Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Some Important Features Of Java That Every Developer Must Know

Java, since it rolled out in the year 1995, has slowly become the center of
programming languages. It is a general purpose, high level coding language designed
by James Gosling and developed by Sun Microsystems. In today’s technology
market, most android/IOS based applications are developed with the help of Java.
Many cloud based services and other internet applications and technologies also use
it, but what makes this particular language so popular ? Well, right from the
beginning, Java has been packed with important features (also know as Java
Buzzwords) designed to help developers achieve their desired outcome easily. Let us
look at some of this features :

Easy To Use

Java is easy to learn and use. It eliminates many complex features which others
language have like ‘Storage classes’, ‘Multiple inheritance’, ‘Operator overloading’,
‘Explicit pointers’, ‘Goto statements’, making it easier for the developers. We also do
not have to worry about unreferenced objects since there is a Automatic Garbage
Collection feature.

Object Oriented

Java is a object–oriented programming language. Its support features like
Encapsulation, Abstraction, Inheritance, Polymorphism. Object oriented means that
Java is a type of software which is a combination of different objects which includes
both data and behavior.

Platform Independent

This is a feature which really makes Java stand out from the rest. Unlike C, C++, etc,
which are compiled in specific platforms, programs written in Java can run from any
machine without any changes. This is because Java does not convert the source code
into machine code. Its converts the source code into an intermediate code called Byte
Code which can be executed on any platform or OS through the Java Virtual Machine.
Because of this Java is also known as WORA (Write Once, Run Anywhere).

Security

Security in programming languages in an important feature as there is fear of virus
attacks and malicious activities. Java features access modifiers which helps to check
memory access and also protects from virus entries. It also has a byte code verifier
which helps to check illegal codes that can violate the access rights to objects.
Another important feature of Java is that it runs program in a virtual machine
sandbox which does not affect the underlying system in anyway.

Multi-Thread

A thread can be explained as an independent program running simultaneously. Being
multi-threaded means Java can run multiple tasks or execute different sections of the
same program at the same time in parallel.

Dynamic

Java is highly dynamic as it can adapt accordingly to the programming environment.
It gives us the facility to link new class libraries, methods and objects. It can also
support functions written in other languages as C and C++.

Summary

The main purpose of creating Java was to make a simple and secure programming
language. By discussing some of these features, we can now understand why and how
Java became so popular among the developers and why even major corporations are
using it.

Read Also: Some Modern Features Of C++ That Make It Popular Still Now

How to Create An Attractive Landing Page to Increase Sales

Landing page, perhaps, is the most crucial element of a business website. A landing page layout can simply determine how well the business will thrive in the online space. if you own a business company and have your brand available on the digital sphere, then you must be able to create an attractive landing page to increase customers and sales numbers. Therefore, in this blog, we’ll explore the different ways you can create an attractive landing page for your business to increase traffic to your website. Watch out.

Landing Page – What It Does

Before getting into the specific details, let’s understand, in brief, what a landing page is about. It is that page of a particular website that you land on whenever you click an ad on search engines or social media sites. For example, if you own an online e-commerce store, then the landing page of your e-commerce website should have all the information about your website, its’ products, how to purchase them, the feedbacks, specific offers, and many more. Thus, a landing page has pretty much all the necessary details about that particular website.

Create Attractive Landing Page to Increase Sales

To increase the conversion rate of a business, it is necessary to understand the nuances of an attractive landing page and how to create one. Here are some ways you can create an effective landing page.

Keep the Page Clean

Nothing can be more attractive than a clean and fast-loading landing page. No matter how interesting your website content and offers are, if it takes longer to arrive on the landing page, then it’s a waste already. To ensure seamless landing, you must keep the page uncluttered and organized. A clumsier landing page turns down the viewers as they fail to find what they want, easily. Keep it simple with relevant images and color tones.

Focus on the Content

Be precise with the content of your landing page. Try to avoid flowery and exaggerated statements that might not match with your products, services, or the brand. Keep the language as simple as possible so that viewers of all strata can understand and relate. Define your business goal with less words and try catchy one-liners to attract the eyes of the customers.

Gain Customer Trust

Customer trust is the ultimate factor that can decide how well would your business survive. Even if they click the ad and arrive on the landing page, if you cannot build their trust at the first glance, then that click will never convert into a purchase. The best way to gain the trust of the customer is to add real-time buyer reviews, testimonials, and appreciation posts from other brands. You can also add other brands’ logos with whom you have collaborated, on your landing page.

Add Attractive Offers

What interesting elements are you offering your customers when they come to the landing page of your website? Ask yourself this question before designing the page. When a viewer visits your website, he/she might have expected some interesting offers that other similar stores are probably not providing. Therefore, grab your customers’ attention by adding attractive offers. If they find your offer alluring, then your conversion rate will increase automatically.

The Bottom Line

Creating an attractive landing page is quite an easy job if you know what to keep and what not to. It is an amazing marketing method that can increase the conversion rate of your online business and help building your brand image while increasing the sales figure.

Read Also: How Web Design and Development Can Amplify Your Business?

The Ultimate Guide To Android App Development For Beginners

In this world of Smartphones and tech gadgets, learning to develop an android app is vital for software developers. But the task is certainly not easy and requires a lot of hard work and dedication. However, once you get a grip on the basics, it will open a world of opportunities. In this blog, we will give you the ultimate guide to android app development for beginners. Let’s go.

Get the Tools Required For App Development :-

You need all the necessary software required for android app development on your desktop. For example, you need tools like Android SDK and Android studio. To make your work a bit easier, you can find these two software under a bundle available for download. Android Studio is an IDK (Integrated Development Environment) tool. It provides an interface to its users to write codes in Java or Kotlin and access all the tools for the app development. With Android Studio, you can also get access to all APIs and libraries from Android SDK.

Open A New Project :-

After installing the Android Studio on your computer, it’s time to start a new project. The procedure is very simple, but you need to make a few choices that’ll help to shape the app development process. So, go to File < New < New Project from there, you have to select a project template. It will set the UI and code element in your app whenever it loads. The next thing you have to decide is that whether you will write your code on Java or Kotlin. Both Google and Android Studio officially supports Java and Kotlin.

Know The Files Very Well :-

Sometimes, the available information on the Android Studio can easily confuse you. In some cases, beginners can get baffled and overwhelmed with all the folders, types of codes, and more. So, we recommend you take time and study the individual files and folders. It will give you proper knowledge and understanding of how everything works. For example, Gradle is a tool that bundles up all your files into APK for testing.

Give Your App A Test Run :-

After you got used to all the different files and folders, just create an app to say “Hello World”. It is one of the most common codes that developers write after they start working on a new programming language. If you are wondering how to run it, well, Android Studio already has an Android emulator. Therefore, once you click on the green arrow, your app gets launched. So, if the app successfully runs and shows the message, congratulations; you have successfully developed your first app.

Keep Practicing :-

The Best way to master the art of app development on Android is by doing it time and time again. For starters, once your “Hello World” is running successfully, you can change it to “Your Name”. Or, you can even go for some interactive statements with the help of user input. For example, you can let the user decide which button to click to give the correct answer.

Conclusion

Android app development is not a skill that you can master overnight. Just like everything in life, this also requires perseverance, hard work, and dedication. However, if you’re wondering where to start, this blog content can be your stepping stone in the world of Android.

Read also > Key advantages of Hybrid Mobile App Development for businesses

Impact Of Information Technology In Modern Society And Its Future

In the past few decades, information technology has become an integral part of our daily lifestyle. In fact, many people will say that it has taken over people’s lives. Just take a moment and look around you. You will see a world filled with gadgets, computers, and other tech stuff. Smartphones are perhaps the most important belonging for most people nowadays.

However, with all these dependencies, information technology has its own set of pros and cons when it comes to its impact on modern society. In this article, let us discuss the impact of information technology on modern society and its future.

The Impact Of Information Technology On Modern Society:-

The following points will showcase some of the positive and negative impacts information technology has on today’s society.

Positive Impact of Information Technology

Effective Communication

With the rise of Information technology, communication has become more simple and effective. For example, you can effectively communicate with anyone through emails, social networks, video calls, and more. From business deals to live interactions, technology has made it all easy.

Fast And Interactive Learning

Technological advancement also helps us to practice interactive and fast learning. It gives us access to all the available resources in the digital world, and that too 24*7. For example, students can easily prepare themselves for exams, sitting in their bedrooms. Moreover, teachers can also help them through online classes and video calls.

Easy Availability

One of the best things about technological advancements is that almost everything is easily available. Of course, this has its own drawbacks. But the truth is that you can get anything you want from the internet, for example, groceries, electronics, information, books, and more.

Negative Impact of Information Technology

Reduced Physical Activity

With all these technological advancements, you can easily expect some downsides. For example, the rise of technology is making people lazier than ever. Nowadays, kids prefer mobile games and play stations over playing outside on an open field.

Data and Privacy Protection

Perhaps the biggest concern of technological advancement is the lack of data and privacy protection. Advanced machine learning has given birth to sophisticated drones and robots. They can easily monitor our daily activities. Moreover, your data on your smartphone is not entirely secured.

The Future Of Information Technology

However, with all these good and bad sides, information technology has a foreseeable future. The following points will shed a light on the possible future of information technology.

Energy-Efficient Vehicles

The concept of electric cars is very much a reality. But in upcoming years, we will possibly witness a world where all vehicles will be eco-friendly to reduce carbon footprints.

Virtual Reality

The game called Pokémon Go has given this world a sneak-peek into virtual reality. But with Facebook announcing the Meta Verse, virtual reality definitely has a bright future.

Education For All

The number of people who cannot afford education around the world is staggering. But with internet access, we will possibly witness a world where the literacy rate will reach its peak.

Conclusion:-

Information technology has definitely cast a strong impact on modern society. And this impact will increase in the foreseeable future. However, it all depends on us and how we use it to make this world a better place.

Also Read:- Impact of mobile apps in our future life