In the lifecycle of any programming language, there exists a “Middle Age.” It is a period where the initial lightning-strike excitement of creation has long since passed, and the language has become part of the very bedrock of the internet. For PHP, this period has been defined by a strange paradox: it powers over 75% of the web, yet it is constantly plagued by a “zombie” reputation – a language that critics claim is dead, even as it continues to evolve at a blistering pace. by Christopher Miller