Is it worth considering php as the first backend language and how to join backend development without experience?

Question

PHP

In general, here's the thing. There is knowledge of JS, I know the language itself quite well. Zero backend experience.
I decided to explore the server side as well.
Since I like JS wildly, node.js is still closer to me. I started to study ... of course I don’t know English, but without it, it turned out to be very difficult to learn node.js, because something will change there faster than you have time to learn it. In general, I downloaded a couple of Russian books. One turned out to be absolutely terrible. unreadable to the end. The other is more or less, but the minus for me is that although the author claims that experience in other backend languages ​​is not needed, it is clear during reading that experience is still needed ... Everything is explained very briefly. Basically a simple description on dry examples, off docks. But you won't get very far with this kind of training if you don't have experience with other languages ​​on the server side.
It seems like I got the very basics from half of the book, but I really can’t write anything. In addition, the book is not at all relevant, and clearly not the best examples are described there. And besides, although I do not rummage in the backend, but even then, errors were clearly visible. In addition, many examples simply do not work, not that the api is outdated, but simply not working code at all ...
In general, I decided to try to go from the other side. Namely with php. According to rumors, they say that he has the lowest entry threshold. In addition, there is a lot of literature and training materials of any level on php, an order of magnitude more than on node.js. At the same time, for a certain time, according to the same rumors, I developed a wild disgust for this language... thanks to all the holivars and memes about php.
Of course, I did not want to study it in any way. But since there are enough materials on php that you can start with without experience, I decided to try ... I downloaded Koterov's book php 7. I read 300 pages (out of 1000+) in a couple of days. Wildly boring, because everything that is written there is known to me from other languages. It's just that some methods are named differently. I thought I’d read it quickly, but it’s very boring to read what you already know in essence, and learning synonyms is somehow too lazy.
Somehow it does not motivate the fact that I will now read 1000+ pages, then another book of 600+ pages on OOP php, then I will practice, but in the end I will immediately switch back to Node.js. As a result, it seems like it will be easier to enter the node, and on the other hand, the spent month + time.
Is it still worth continuing to study php, or give up on it, and is it quite normal to drop into a node without backend development experience?
Maybe there are some other ways? Maybe read some articles about backend that are not related to some language? Read about the database, although I do not rummage, but it seems like you still have to interact with them through some kind of language. The same mysql, the first associations with it are php. Although I mainly use nosql database in node, but not always ...
In general, how to join node.js development without any experience with backend?

Answer 1

I think that php is still worth learning, because the language is sharpened for the web and from there you will learn much better how everything works. And then at will.

Answer 2

At the same time, for a certain time, according to all the same rumors, I had a wild disgust for this language ... thanks to all the holivars and memes about php

You probably read holivars and memes two or three years ago. PHP is a promising language, especially the huge steps taken in the seventh branch. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to take skeptics and haters for clean water, often learning PHP from these people ended up finishing the work of some shitty coders who build such public opinions.
The backend doesn't end with learning the language, you need to learn a lot more about design patterns, DBMS, caching, etc. etc. Therefore, if you hope that the study of the backend will end with the study of any one language, it is very in vain.
As a PHP specialist, I can say for sure that if you know JavaScript, then learn Node.js, because. It will be easier to join with superficial knowledge. And then on the rise: if Node.js becomes small (which is unlikely), you can think about further development.

Answer 3

If you know JS really well and have at least a superficial understanding of how the backend works, get a job as a Junior node.js backend developer. So you will gain experience and in the future it will be easier if you relearn any other language.

Answer 4

it seems to me that node.js is a very simple thing
, read api - everything is clear there,
the problem is if you want to do everything on ready-made frameworks
, try to manually write server code in js, on your own without ready-made code

Answer 5

Learn php it is C-like, after it any C-like language goes well.
I would suggest go or java but they will be difficult for the first time.
PHP is the simplest language, you can write anything on the web in it.
You can monster the api and the front. There are good frameworks (Yii2, Laravel, Kohana)
I personally switched to nodejs + go
When learning nodejs, there is a huge one +
You can cut both the front and the backend with js

Answer 6

PHP is easier than JS. And about the methods of study: books are theory, and you need theory + practice, and these are video lessons from YouTube channels. I can advise the ITVDN channel.