Ah, PHP—the language that has been the punchline of many a developer joke. Many people believe that PHP is only suitable for small projects, like a personal blog or a simple contact form. Myth #1: PHP is not scalable. In reality, with proper architecture, PHP can handle large scale applications like Facebook and WordPress. It’s like saying your local diner can’t serve a busy lunch crowd just because you saw them run out of fries once. Get it together, folks!

Then there’s the famous misconception that PHP is insecure. Oh, come on! That's like saying all cars are reckless just because a few drivers don't know how to use their turn signals. Myth #2: All PHP code is insecure. The truth is, security depends on how you write your code. So if you fall for this one, you're the one driving without a seatbelt—handle your code responsibly, and you'll be just fine!

For many PHP developers, semicolons are a source of both love and loathing. On one hand, these little punctuation marks serve a critical role in defining the end of a statement, contributing to the clarity and structure of the code. Without semicolons, PHP can struggle to interpret where one command ends and another begins, leading to potential errors and confusion. On the other hand, the strict requirement for semicolons can feel cumbersome, especially for developers coming from languages where line breaks are sufficient to signal the end of a statement. This dependency on semicolons often becomes a notable point of frustration, particularly in code that is evolving and being continuously updated.

Moreover, this love-hate relationship often manifests during collaborative projects. Developers may find themselves in a situation where one colleague prefers to omit semicolons in certain contexts, resulting in inconsistent code formatting. This inconsistency can lead to bugs or, at the very least, generate confusion when reading through the codebase. Ultimately, the semicolon—the smallest of punctuation marks—embodies broader themes of learning and adjusting to the nuances of programming in PHP. Embracing this duality can help developers recognize the purpose behind semicolons while also promoting best practices in their coding habits.

So, is PHP still relevant in 2023? You might think it’s about as trendy as a flip phone at a tech conference. But hold on—don't toss that dinosaur into the digital graveyard just yet. Despite the rise of fancy frameworks and oh-so-sleek languages, PHP is still chugging along like that reliable old uncle who always remembers your birthday. It powers a staggering 79% of all websites, including heavyweights like WordPress. So, while those hip newcomers are busy courting the latest fashion trends, PHP is at the cool kids' table, sipping coffee and nodding along.

Of course, PHP isn't without its quirks. It has a syntax that feels like it was designed in a caffeine-fueled coding session gone wrong. And let’s not even get started on some of the peculiarities that make developers scratch their heads in confusion. But here’s the kicker: PHP has evolved, introducing a host of features that make it a worthy contender in the programming ring. With its newfound strength in the form of PHP 8, offering JIT compilation and syntax improvements, it's ready to fend off challengers. So, the next time someone questions its relevance, remind them: like your favorite pair of worn-in jeans, PHP might not be the flashiest, but it still gets the job done.