Hack vs JavaScript vs PHP: What are the differences?
# Introduction
Below are the key differences between Hack, JavaScript, and PHP.
1. **Type System**: Hack is a statically typed language, whereas JavaScript and PHP are dynamically typed. In Hack, variables must be declared with a specific data type, while JavaScript and PHP do not require explicit type declarations.
2. **Execution Environment**: JavaScript and PHP are typically used for client-side and server-side scripting, respectively, while Hack is primarily used at Facebook for backend services and is not as commonly used for general web development.
3. **Performance**: Hack offers better performance compared to PHP due to its statically typed nature, while JavaScript's performance can vary depending on the implementation and browser.
4. **Syntax**: Hack has a more similar syntax to PHP but includes type annotations for static typing, whereas JavaScript has a different syntax with features like arrow functions and objects as first-class citizens.
5. **Tooling**: Hack comes with a robust toolset, including a type checker and automatic refactoring tools, which can help improve code quality and maintainability, while PHP and JavaScript have fewer built-in tools for these purposes.
6. **Error Handling**: Hack provides better error checking and type safety at compile time, reducing the chances of runtime errors, while PHP and JavaScript may encounter more runtime errors due to their dynamic nature.
In Summary, the key differences between Hack, JavaScript, and PHP lie in their type systems, execution environments, performance, syntax, tooling, and error handling capabilities.