INTRODUCTION TO PHP AND MySQL –SERVER –SIDE LANGUAGES IN USE
Server-side scripting is most often used when there is a requirement forinteraction between the visitor and the website, such as sending an emailthrough a form or creating a web application.
Google Docs is a web application powered through server-side scripting.
The script takes the necessary steps to respond to eachrequest for information that is made by ferrying data back and forth betweenthe web server and the visitor’s computer (the client). Due to the increasingnumber of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) and the desire for enhanced web functionality, this area of webdevelopment is rapidly growing.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popularserver-side scripting languages; the URLs provided point to the user manual foreach technology, so you can learn more about the language if you wish:
PHP (
The PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is among the most well known server-sidelanguages in use on the web. It’s an open source platform, whichmeans anyone can contribute to the project, and has wide supportwithin Linux and Windows servers. It is quite possibly the most popularscripting language in use today. PHP, like all of the other scriptinglanguages, is harder to learn than HTML and CSS, but for thosewanting to add dynamic features and interactive components or theability to connect and save to a database, PHP 5 (version 6 is indevelopment) has become a popular choice for server-sidedevelopment.
ASP.NET (
Active Server Pages .NET(ASP.NET) is an evolution of the classic version of ASP. ASP.NET itselfis based on Microsoft’s .NET platform, and with a lot of use onWindows servers, it has become one of the top choices for enterprisesand organizations who are less trusting of open source software. If youcome from a programming background or have written any software,you may enjoy the fact that ASP.NET can use Visual Basic, C++, C#,and other supported syntax and convert it to ASP.NET on the fly usingits common language runtime. ASP.NET is a very popular language,and version 3.5 (the most recent) is another fine choice for learners ofserver scripting.
Classic ASP (
Before there was ASP.NET, there was Active Server Pages (ASP). ASP issupported by Windows servers, and is proprietary (in terms of how itfunctioned), so classic ASP has been a firm favourite of enterprises andbusinesses alike for many years. While ASP has seen a decline in usesince ASP.NET was released, version 3.0 still has a following, and somepeople prefer it over ASP.NET due to the reduced system resources itneeds. Most ASP pages are written in VBScript, and ASP is on par withPHP in terms of ease of learning.
Python (
Python started off as a fullyfledged programming language and was later adapted for serverscripting on the Web. Fairly recently, it has seen a sharp rise in theamount of people who use it to produce web applications (rather thansmall scripts for which other languages are better suited). Withframework solutions such as Django to help manage complexapplications and projects and the ability to place Python scripts withincontainers, the language has become a firm favourite amongprogrammers coding for the Web and the information securityindustry. It should be noted that this language is better suited forapplications than for websites.
Ruby (
Ruby is the rock star of the bunch. While it has been around for a very long time, its place on the Webhas only fairly recently (over the last few years) become a rags-to-richesstory. The most popular method for using Ruby on the Web isRuby on Rails and essentially provides an entire framework to helpreduce the complexity of scripting large applications. Because of thisrapid development environment, Ruby and Rails have becomecommonplace within web servers, and like Python, they supportcontainers for managing complex projects. Ruby is well known forbeing fairly easy to pick up and is an excellent choice for individualswho want to learn to produce web applications with littleprogramming experience. It should be noted that this language isbetter suited for applications than websites.
Perl (
Perl has been around for a longtime. It’s currently at version 5.1 and has seen few updates overrecent years. However, it has maintained a cult following amonghardcore developers who want to be free of the bulk and mess thatcomes with other server-side languages. I would not recommend thislanguage for beginners, because many people new to scripting havestated that it is tricky to learn and the language itself has gone intodecline in terms of usage. Perl does have wide support on allplatforms and may be worthy of investigation because of itslightweight nature.
ColdFusion(
Adobe ColdFusion is another well-known server-side language thathas its own dedicated user base. The language itself is consideredfairly straightforward to learn and in many ways is simpler than itscounterparts. However, any ease of use is inhibited by two facts. Firstly, ColdFusion is limited in its support across platforms, as many hosts donot offer direct support for it like they do for other languages. Also, aColdFusion server is very expensive to implement, which prices it outof reach of average consumers. Therefore, it probably isn’t what youwill want to learn as your primary server-side language.
JSP (
Finally, JavaServerPages (JSP), as you may have guessed, is directly related to both Java(which drives those little applets you see on pages) and JavaScript. While JSP has seen limited success in terms ofusage across the Web, it has seen a moderate increase in use since SunMicrosystems (its creator) was bought by Oracle. Like ASP, JSP has been fairly popular in enterprise-levelenvironments, where its backing by well funded organizations (Sun andnow Oracle) has created a level of trust. Because JSP is so broadlysupported across platforms, it is definitely worthy of consideration.
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