All about cross-platform desktop app development with PHP

PHP has conventionally been used for web application development. Although it may sound a little unthinkable,
it is now very possible to develop cross-platform desktop applications using this versatile language and of course with
the help of PHP-GTK. Currently, JAVA and .Net also use this technology where a virtual machine is used that performs
code optimization and execution of the code according to the platform used. Desktop applications eliminate the dependency
of browsers and web servers such as Apache and IIS. Compared to the other programming languages, PHP enables more
independent work and better focus on the presence of the desktop and therefore better ability to build cross-platform desktop
applications that cater well to your specific business needs.

Reasons to use PHP for cross-platform application development

That said, we have listed some scenarios, in which you would like to use PHP as the preferred language to develop
your cross-platform desktop application:

1. When you want to maintain a good code structure while maintaining syntax easy enough and at the same time
you don't want to invest your time and effort in learning a new language like ActionScript.

2. When you need to build a browser-based game or something as simple as an auxiliary application,
PHP is perfect for this type of application and the good thing is that you already know the language.

3. When you want to have your own application intended only for personal use, which you could ideally carry on a USB device
and connect to run the application with SQLite DB and for which you would hardly like to incur hosting charges, you can
easily develop it in PHP.

4. When you need to embed a browser in your company's application so that employees can use this browser as default,
you can use PHP to develop this web application that opens only in that browser.

Related article: Deploying PHP Apps with Docker

These are some of the most popular and convenient ways to achieve this using PHP:

Nightrain: Written in Python, Nightrain packager uses the internal PHP server to host your application.
It is compatible with several PHP applications and frameworks. This requires that you choose SQLite in the database to continue.
It is still in an evolutionary phase, so you can add the advanced aspects and features can be added on to be able to build robust and
complex applications. The only thing to keep in mind is that amateur developers may find it difficult to work with.

WXPHP: Also known as "wxWidgets for PHP," wxPHP is a PHP extension that spans the entire wxWidgets library to make it easier
for developers to create cross-platform desktop applications. It is usually installed as a separate program. As you use wxPHP,
you technically do not build a website, but basically, gather the different wx widgets from your library and put them to work and
solve the purpose for you. So, this way of developing a multiplatform desktop application involves the least amount of technicalities.

TideSDK: This is different from the rest of the two in the sense that it allows you to install SDK to build the application according to the
specific needs of each different platform separately. Setting up the application, this allows you to obtain all the necessary helpers so
that you can develop and distribute your application with ease. The best thing about building your application using TideSDK is that the
distribution of the application is always smooth and in an executable format.

If you want to learn more about PHP, then PHP training in Chandigarh is the best platform for you.

Chandigarh Educational Hub

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