Level 47
All those apis and nice javascript frontends are hitting some kind of a backend on a server. Yes, you can use Node or something for a backend, but php is still widely used for this.
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Nov 16, 2016
4
Level 1
Is PHP still a widely in-demand skill?
It seems like more and more of the development community is shifting towards JavaScript and API-centric workflows.
Laracasts seems really intriguing to me, but I have the sense that what I'm learning isn't what's in demand in today's job market anymore.
Regardless, I still think Laracasts could help me learn quite a few fundamental concepts that I can then apply to other languages/frameworks I decide to learn.
Just trying to decide where to spend my time. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on this.
Level 54
Is PHP still a widely in-demand skill?
Yup.
The average maximum salary potential can be higher with some other languages, but PHP is definitely still very much in demand, and highly profitable (if/when you're good). :)
Level 15
It's definitely in demand. If you are just starting out, PHP/Laravel is as good a place to start as any. Plus, you can't be/call yourself a developer as a one-trick pony. You will likely specialize, but there's no avoiding learning a little (and sometimes a lot) of everything else.
Laravel growing by leaps and bounds, but don't necessarily expect to end up someplace that only does Laravel. There is more legacy PHP code/apps and WordPress out there than you can shake a million sticks at.
One final thought, check job postings in your area and see what's popular locally.
Level 16
When you have gained enough knowledge of a language most of its attributes can be transfered to another language. Then all you need to do is learn the syntax.
Wether or not PHP is in demand is irrelevant if you know how to code well, and the only way to do this is by experimenting and getting more knowledge.
Work on open-source projects, experiment with your own projects. It might not give you any money at first, but when you start to gather projects for your portfolio you will eventually have the experience needed to get a full time job.
My advise to you would be to go deep into the basics with PHP and Javascript. Laracast offers great tutorials to get you started. Then create 5-10 different fully fledged projects each with different goals, the object is to teach you different problems and their solutions.
Have you ever tried making a Rock Paper Scissors game? Try it, and when you have it working, add a new term so maybe Rock Paper Scissors Jeffrey and try to see how your code changes and where it breaks. You can make it even more complicated by doing 5 different terms. This will give you a huge understanding in how to tackle the problem.
What is going to get you the job is not how well you know a language but rather how good you are at solving problems
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