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Monday, April 19, 2004
What's So Good About PHP
by Matthew Dingley
So you need that extra bit of ting on your Web site. But what do you use to do it? You could use age old CGI or maybe Alaire's ColdFusion. One of the latest and coolest languages though is PHP and it is also the language I use to make all my programs and the "behind the scenes" work to make my Web site more functional and dynamic.
So what's wrong with the other languages?
CGI
To use CGI, you need to learn more complicated languages like C++. If you already know C++ then great, there's probably no reason for you to learn PHP. All you have to do is check that your host supports CGI and use it. If you don't know C++, it is a tricky language with lots to learn that is meant to be used for general software programming---not the web.
ColdFusion
The first thing is it's not cheap. It's very good for larger businesses that might need powerful applications such as e-commerce. But for a small site, which needs modest functionality in all areas, ColdFusion is just too expensive and cumbersome.
PHP
So what can PHP do for me? The obvious thing about it (and some would say the best) is that it is absolutely free! If that's not a good enough reason, I don't know what is. But if you need any other reasons, here goes:
- Made for the Web
The creators of PHP (who can be found at www.php.net) made it especially for the web. This means it is finely tuned to make powerful and dynamic websites. There are features like the mail() function which allows you to send e-mail straight from your website.
- Open Source
Open software means that lots of people helped make it and any mistakes are found quickly by the thousands that help maintain it. This means it is reliable and also forces it to be free.
- Powerful
It is so powerful that even some of the PHP experts feel that they have only tapped into a part of PHP's power. But don't worry, it's still easy for us mere mortals to learn (view next point). Because it was made for the web, it can quickly interact with databases, send e-mails directly from your Web site and perform some very powerful actions to create complex applications.
- Easy for Beginners
It is easy for beginners to programming to get an understanding of documentation and support and readily available.
- Widely Supported
Many hosts are opting for PHP instead of CGI. It is now more than likely that your host will allow you to use PHP.
As you can see there is a lot going for PHP. It is a new technology so there are a few bugs, but because it is open source and there are millions using it, these get sorted out quickly. So if you decide to learn PHP or just use other people's programs written in it, there are lots of places to go. One such location is www.hotscripts.com to find loads of cool programs to use on your site.
If you need support you can go to www.php.net (the home of the makers of PHP) or www.phpbuilder.com for a community of coders to help you.
Happy coding.
Matthew is a young Web developer. This includes various programs written in PHP (which you can put on your Web site and are used by companies all over the world) and several other articles as well.
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