What Makes PHP so popular?

[JadeWolf324]

i was just curious...I've been doing web development path with CFMX...and honestly, i love it. but the userbase in PHP is bar-non and i was curious...what is it that makes PHP so great?

its syntax seems so much more complex...but that doesnt necessarily make it inheirently better does it?

i'm just curious, bring to the table explanations for me?

(and yes, i realize cost is a big issue most of the time...but large

enterprises use it as well...because its considered a standard?)

no flames please, im just curious.

[fock neow1n]

First thing, PHP is free. PHP is a well rounded language. Meaning I can do just about anything from image manipulation to file manipulation. I like how PHP feels like a low-level programming language but really isn't.

[JadeWolf324]

First thing, PHP is free. PHP is a well rounded language. Meaning I can do just about anything from image manipulation to file manipulation. I like how PHP feels like a low-level programming language but really isn't.

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true i could definately see price as a deciding factor...

are there any major features that any other language doesnt have that

it does?

[amrinders87]

First thing, PHP is free. PHP is a well rounded language. Meaning I can do just about anything from image manipulation to file manipulation. I like how PHP feels like a low-level programming language but really isn't.

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And you can run it on both Windows and Linux.

[P!P]

Personally, I think PHP is very easy. I have picked up the basics of PHP by simply looking at some scripts. I have not been able to do the same with some of the other languages. Plus, PHP just feels good to use. ;)

[JadeWolf324]

And you can run it on both Windows and Linux.

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CFMX runs on windows and Linux.

ASP.NET cant, so it loses in that department.

[amrinders87]

Well you can run Coldfusion on both Windows and Linux too, aswell as Solaris and Mac OSX.

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I said AND, that means its an addition to what the other person said. Coldfusion is not free.

[mr.phrodo]

And you can run it on both Windows and Linux.

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Well you can run Coldfusion on both Windows and Linux too, aswell as Solaris and Mac OSX.

[fock neow1n]

PHP is also small plugin to install, which I love about it. Perl is about 50 MB, Java is about 5-11 MB something like that, but that is just to view Java applets, the IDE itself can be about 100 MB. PHP is about 7 MB for Windows, and about 5 for linux. All I do to install PHP on Apache is a few simple lines in my server config file. I just read through on how ColdFusion is installed and the process seems to be longer to install than PHP. Process for IIS is just as simple as well.

[fock neow1n]

CFMX runs on windows and Linux.

ASP.NET cant, so it loses in that department.

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Actually, and sorry for double post, You can install ASP.NET for Linux, http://www.pcquest.com/content/search/show...7162&way=search

[JadeWolf324]

Actually, and sorry for double post, You can install ASP.NET for Linux, http://www.pcquest.com/content/search/show...7162&way=search

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it seems much harder to get ASP.NET to work in linux then it is to install

CFMX on any platform...it has a installer wizard and you just point it to your

webserver type (which it usually senses, especially with IIS).

you run the config page, and then the services start and you have a CF server...the administrator website is nice...and i could see it getting complex if you are locking it down, but that just takes some time to get used to...

...overall CFMX is a breeze to install.

I have never installed, PHP (but i will be shortly) and ASP.NET i've never wanted

to touch...i tried it once and was not happy with it at all..

(edit: did i mention the config page auto-configs cf for you?)

[KingDrew]

Wow, I haven't seen many fellow ColdFusion developers around the Neowin community. I used to be a major part of EasyCFM, but things have changed. The great things about PHP is the amount of support for it, it's free, built-in functions, and it's more tied in with other languages such as C++, Perl, etc (in some ways). I think both ColdFusion and PHP are great languages. The only negative thing about ColdFusion is the price tag, although there is BlueDragon which is free and available for Linux, Mac, and Windows :). It really comes down to what you want to do and personal preference.

[amrinders87]

But its a lot easier to develop in ASP.NET compared to PHP.

[fock neow1n]

To me it seems PHP is just like what they have done with C++, they have come out with VisualBasic. ColdFusion can do what PHP can do. ColdFusion is designed for productivity. PHP just gives gives you a little more control over what you do.

[JadeWolf324]

Wow, I haven't seen many fellow ColdFusion developers around the Neowin community. I used to be a major part of EasyCFM, but things have changed. The great things about PHP is the amount of support for it, it's free, built-in functions, and it's more tied in with other languages such as C++, Perl, etc (in some ways). I think both ColdFusion and PHP are great languages. The only negative thing about ColdFusion is the price tag, although there is BlueDragon which is free and available for Linux, Mac, and Windows :). It really comes down to what you want to do and personal preference.

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wow a cf user! :happy:

anyhow...have you played with CFMX 7? its brilliant, by far the most impressive release i've ever used...built in encryption functions with 6 or 7 different algorithms and languages to choose from...

...on the fly PDF or Flashpaper generation with the <cfdocument /> tag.

its really gotten way more structured over the years...it also has support for C++, .NET, java, or any other type of language with the <cfoject> tag or CFX modules.

(some ASP.NET users throw your hats in and compare)

PHP does make some really nice sites, i must admit...i've seen many nice PHP projects (like wordpress for instance).

And its true, the pricetag is a major turnoff and yes there is bluedragon! and thats really neat indeed...but i mean, hosted CFMX can be cheap in a shared-hosting environment...that is, if you don't mind having explicit control over the CF admin panel.

[CJC]

From what I've heard, there is a built-in PHP function for just about anything, and that's what makes it so versatile and popular.

[JadeWolf324]

From what I've heard, there is a built-in PHP function for just about anything, and that's what makes it so versatile and popular.

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http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/exchange...extid=0&catid=0

that link goes to the CMFX Developers exchange. millions of user submitted functions or CFC's (Coldfusion Components) or custom tags many for free and some for $$$

there is also cflib.org which has many great UDF's (user defined functions).

CFC's or custom tags can be integreated into any app in a OOP-type state...for instance:

<cf_CUSTOMTAG attributes=whatever >

that tells CF to execute CUSTOMTAG, and custom tag can have as many attributes to instruct that tag to do anything you want in CFML.

so there are many different, many versatile, choices for CF developers as well.

[fock neow1n]

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/exchange...extid=0&catid=0

that link goes to the CMFX Developers exchange. millions of user submitted functions or CFC's (Coldfusion Components) or custom tags many for free and some for $$$

there is also cflib.org which has many great UDF's (user defined functions).

so there are many different, many versatile, choices for CF developers as well.

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But that is the problem. If you have to wipe your system for some reason you have to download those components again. With PHP you can send the project to anyone in the world with knowledge of PHP and they won't have to download anything. They can make changes and send it back to you.

[JadeWolf324]

But that is the problem. If you have to wipe your system for some reason you have to download those components again. With PHP you can send the project to anyone in the world with knowledge of PHP and they won't have to download anything. They can make changes and send it back to you.

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thats a good point...but how often does one lose a harddrive?

if its a "real" server it should have some sort of redundancy to protect

from that sort of thing.

[KingDrew]

But that is the problem. If you have to wipe your system for some reason you have to download those components again. With PHP you can send the project to anyone in the world with knowledge of PHP and they won't have to download anything. They can make changes and send it back to you.

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I have to disagree with that. Not all servers have the same PHP configuration as every other one. I've had a PHP script that worked on one server, but not there other since the GD library was not installed. Same goes with CFX tags for ColdFusion, you design an application using that CFX tag and if the other server doesn't have the CFX tag, it will error out just as PHP will.

BTW, PHP isn't on every server in the world, just on most.

[fock neow1n]

Do you not need the components when your editing ColdFusion files locally then upload after?

[CyBeRiA]

One of the nice things about PHP is the sense of community that includes the developers. If something doesn't work right, there are thousands of users picking through every function in their own site development, and when these issues are addressed to the developers, they have the freedom to create minor releases. The frequency with which the developers can update PHP releases (due to the lack of a rigid release structure that many for-profit companies create) can be somewhat annoying, but it certainly keeps the code evolving and aides in the swift resolution of bugs.

[JadeWolf324]

One of the nice things about PHP is the sense of community that includes the developers. If something doesn't work right, there are thousands of users picking through every function in their own site development, and when these issues are addressed to the developers, they have the freedom to create minor releases. The frequency with which the developers can update PHP releases (due to the lack of a rigid release structure that many for-profit companies create) can be somewhat annoying, but it certainly keeps the code evolving and aides in the swift resolution of bugs.

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that is my only problem with CFMX, the community is very far spread...there is not a really central area (outside of MACR's site).

Do you not need the components when your editing ColdFusion files locally then upload after?

they are only accessed when called in runtime. so you do not technically need them to reside there while you are coding...if thats what you mean?

[fock neow1n]

So far PHP, in my view, out does CMFX in price, file size, and portability

CMFX has productivity.

Those are my reasons for the usage of PHP.

[JadeWolf324]

So far PHP, in my view, out does CMFX in price, file size, and portability

CMFX has productivity.

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i agree with you 100%

CFMX has a rather large requirement as far as size and weight on servers...portability...its always been backwards compatible..and i can see where you are comming from with the builtin stuff...but any CFMX coder knows what the other means by the sorts of tags they are implimenting...

but yea it always comes down to price...CFMX is just way too hefty.

but ASP.NET is free, what about them?

[fock neow1n]

ASP.NET is just better left to IIS. Ya you can install it on Apache but it probally won't be as secure as it would be on IIS. ASP.NET is basically VisualBasicScripting. If your running ASP.NET, your server has to be an NT server.