This is awesome, thank you! PHP may have started out as a "set of tools", but it evolved into a complete language. Like any programming language, you can write

This is awesome, thank you! PHP may have started out as a "set of tools", but it evolved into a complete language. Like any programming language, you can write sloppy code or elegant code in PHP - with or without a framework. Languages are foundations on which frameworks and design patterns can be built to solve common problems. The trap that we fall into is trying to fit all of our problems into those common ones that frameworks and design patterns solve. This leaves potential edge cases that become bigger problems. PHP can be has hacky or as elegant as you make it. The versatility of that makes it a great utility. It also makes it very approachable. This is a big contributor to why it runs a big part of the web.