php vs asp

[cwedl]

Hi

I am re-creating a website that sells swiss and french alp properties. just wondering which one would be better.

Basically I need to have a search form i.e. browse, keyword search and the ability for customers to view info of properties. The ability to subscribe to a new letter and unsubcribe.

At the moment the website is coded in asp but I am starting from scratch willing to buy some books etc to learn.

What do you think? Cheers

 

[bousozoku]

From a standards perspective, PHP is the better choice since ASP is a Microsoft technology. ASP usually requires special support from a server that is less frequently available. Scripting is also more like C, Java, and JavaScript rather than Visual BASIC.

 

[cwedl]

From a standards perspective, PHP is the better choice since ASP is a Microsoft technology. ASP usually requires special support from a server that is less frequently available. Scripting is also more like C, Java, and JavaScript rather than Visual BASIC.

how does php work? can you create an access database, filemaker database and convert it into the format you need?

 

[Coolnat2004]

PHP is generally coupled with MySQL. Both are free to install and use.

I would not be using Access for anything mainly because Access sucks, and the first (few?) versions of it ultimately caused loss of data for all of the companies who adopted it at that stage.

I think Access lets you export to SQL, which may or may not work..

 

[zimv20]

how does php work? can you create an access database, filemaker database and convert it into the format you need?

php was designed as the piece between server db's and client web browers, so it works very well in this regard. i've used it only in combination with MySQL, but i'd think you'd be okay* with Access, using SQL. dunno about filemaker, does it support SQL?

* where "okay" means from an approach perspective, i have no idea how well Access would work in a real environment.

 

[frankblundt]

ASP more or less locks you into a MS software environment (IIS, Windows Server = $$$) running on a PC. PHP will work in those environments, but also equally well on Linux or Mac X, running Apache or whatever.
I personally find PHP easier to work with, in no small part because the environment (Panther, Apache, MySQL) is easier to work with. And I had it all there (or it was free to install) on my mac before i'd even thought about dabbling in it.

 

[cwedl]

Have you got links to this free software?

When I originally made the website I used asp, so we have a server running windows 2003. asp was the only thing keeping me from using a PC. I can save my boss money by switching back to a linux server, and use my Mac! Thats so cool.

 

[Edot]

http://www.php.net/downloads.php

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html

That should get you started.

 

[frankblundt]

pretty sure they're all on Apple > OSX > Downloads There's one called MAMP that has them all combined but last time i tried it it was a bit of a mess.
OSX has Apache installed already, but you can install the more recent version too (there's instructions included on how to turn off the original). PHP and MySQL are both there. CocoaMySql is another good, free, basic database front-end, but it doesn't do account management so MyPHPAdmin might be better (i haven't tried it yet myself).
It can take a bit of fiddling about getting it set up and configuring the firewall etc, but if you read all the instructions before you start its actually pretty straightforward. I'd never done any dynamic stuff before, but set it up, learn't PHP and had a pretty complex site up within a couple of months.

Best to get it all set up and working on your mac first, then look at the Linux side.

I highly recommend Larry Ullman's PHP and MySQL book(s) - they have sections on installing and set up as well as configuration and heaps of examples that can be tweaked to your own needs. I've waded through countless manuals before, but his actually made sense, and worked!

 

[cwedl]

Thats great!

I am using dreamweaver as well, has dreamweaver got all these functions as well?

 

[Amuraivel]

Get off of the proprietary ASP.

PHP is really quite flexible, easy to learn, maybe ASP is but it seemed a bit arcane to me, I've even had VBasic in school.

PHP makes you platform independent....

No dreamweaver doesn't have those functions. Dreamweaver creates the pages, plugins, cute animations.

THink of PHP as the glue between the Sever, pages, content managment system(s), database. It is the morter that runs on the computer to coordinate these, and generate content using all of these pieces.

 

[grapes911]

From a standards perspective, PHP is the better choice since ASP is a Microsoft technology. ASP usually requires special support from a server that is less frequently available. Scripting is also more like C, Java, and JavaScript rather than Visual BASIC.

This is all true (and most of what is in the thread is true), but if you have access to .NET and have equal knowledge of both technologies, .NET is a good choice. It is very fast to learn and very fast to develop. Don't dismiss it just because it is a MS product.

PS. If you don't have access to it, I wouldn't even consider it.

 

[frankblundt]

I am using dreamweaver as well, has dreamweaver got all these functions as well?

Don't know about that - i use GoLive for straight html sites, for the php ones i just use a text editor (Text Wrangler is really good)

 

[whocares]

php was designed as the piece between server db's and client web browers, so it works very well in this regard. i've used it only in combination with MySQL, but i'd think you'd be okay* with Access, using SQL. dunno about filemaker, does it support SQL?

Access supports a half-arsed version of SQL, but it's usable.

I don't thing you can use Access with PHP though; and why would you? MySQL is free and easy to use (with PHPMyAdmin or the likes).

 

[PixelGlitch]

Thats great!

I am using dreamweaver as well, has dreamweaver got all these functions as well?

Dreamweaver has similar capabilities with PHP/MySQL as it does with ASP/MSSQL. I find it quite useful for starting my dynamic pages. It can create connections to databases, create custom queries, create records sets, page thru data results, create user logins, etc. I always end up going into code view to modify what Dreamweaver puts in, but I find it very useful as a starting point.

I've developed sites in both ASP/VBscript and PHP using Dreamweaver and can say that the experience is pretty similar. It's not until you go into code view that things are waaaay different. When hand coding, I find PHP significantly easier to deal with and more intuitive than VB script.

 

[ChicoWeb]

Well it all depends on the functionality needed and your developer/opensource software. It is impossible to say which is better for a particular project because they all have advantages and disadvantages. Its like saying, should I drive my ford of chevy. Granted i'm PHP all the way but I've had to develop some times in ASPX for the clients. Seems like you should be asking them about their webserver and you should be looking to find what your developer wants.

 

[cwedl]

Well it all depends on the functionality needed and your developer/opensource software. It is impossible to say which is better for a particular project because they all have advantages and disadvantages. Its like saying, should I drive my ford of chevy. Granted i'm PHP all the way but I've had to develop some times in ASPX for the clients. Seems like you should be asking them about their webserver and you should be looking to find what your developer wants.

My situation is different it appears. I choose the webserver, and basically what the website does, I run things through my boss but he is guided by me

 

[Nermal]

Just a word of warning: ASP.NET prior to version 2 will often strip out formatting and other tags if the user is not running IE. There are ways around it, and version 2 (2005) isn't as bad, but it's still worth mentioning.

Someone asked whether you can link PHP to Access. I don't know, but you *can* link to MS SQL Server. I would expect that Access works similarly, I'm pretty sure that there's an ODBC driver for it.

Dreamweaver has very limited PHP support. It has little icons showing you where your PHP code is, but that's about it.

 

[bousozoku]

This is all true (and most of what is in the thread is true), but if you have access to .NET and have equal knowledge of both technologies, .NET is a good choice. It is very fast to learn and very fast to develop. Don't dismiss it just because it is a MS product.

PS. If you don't have access to it, I wouldn't even consider it.

It's not about ASP being a product of Microsoft but because it makes things non-standard. .NET also drags you into the world of Microsoft although the developers of Mono try to keep up with any changes Microsoft makes. It's simply much easier to avoid any chance for having your world turned upside down by a single company.

Sun isn't exactly a not-for-profit company but I think that Java is a little bit more less likely to be restricted by whim since several other companies have dedicated resources to making it universal across platforms.

Thinking of Java Server Pages, a fairly open technology, I'd still rather use PHP because it's much simpler.

 

[superbovine]

Someone asked whether you can link PHP to Access. I don't know, but you *can* link to MS SQL Server. I would expect that Access works similarly, I'm pretty sure that there's an ODBC driver for it.

if you actually care...

http://www.zend.com/zend/tut/odbc.php

 

[Chacala_Nayarit]

I highly recommend Larry Ullman's PHP and MySQL book(s) - they have sections on installing and set up as well as configuration and heaps of examples that can be tweaked to your own needs. I've waded through countless manuals before, but his actually made sense, and worked!

Thanks Frank! Just bought that book and another book on CSS. If you are an Amazon associate, you just made a few NZ dollars.

 

[angelneo]

Have you got links to this free software?

Here's another link to jump start, they includes all the necessary tools to start a webserver, great for developers who need to run multiple configurations, the lite version can even run off a usb drive.

PS: DO NOT attempt to use this as your production installation.

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html

 

[theappleguy]

how does php work? can you create an access database, filemaker database and convert it into the format you need?

If you don't know the answer to that question, then either would cover your needs but PHP would be the best option.