PHP is a great technology that is very similar to Active Server Pages. It
is better because it is free (as in, not needing to buy anything to use it,
unlike ASP which requires IIS). It is also better because it's Open Source.
Additionally, it comes with a lot more modules than ASP. For example, if
you want to handle file-uploads, ASP requires a lot of tricky coding, or you
have to pay for a component. PHP has it included. If you want to create
dynamic images, PHP can do this for free, ASP you have to use COM and
commercial components.
As far as simplicity, if you find a PKG file, you'll find it very easy to
use. I think several people on this list provided links to PHP for Raq 3i
servers in the last two weeks. If not, it's basic install (without all the
bells and whistles) is very easy.
Additionally, for even greater simplicity, you can create what's called a
CGI version, which causes your PHP pages to work almost exactly like Perl
CGI scripts. You just add a #!/usr/bin/php to the first line of a script
and make it executable. However on the Raq line of servers, installing the
Apache module is just as easy as the CGI module, and the apache module is
more robust in many ways.
As you can guess, I am a big PHP advocate. I teach classes on the language
(don't make money doing that yet, however) and try to encourage people
whenever I can. If you like Perl, you could migrate very easily to PHP and
benefit from a language that specializes serving dynamic web content.
Hope this helps,
Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: <jale@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <cobalt-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: [cobalt-developers] message board is ready
>
> >Because it's PHP based, you will need PHP on your server. It will
install
> >on a Raq3 or Raq4, but I've only tested it on a Raq4. You should not
need
>
> I am one of those people with a very vanilla RAQ3i. I only keep up on
stuff
> for it when I have a need, so let me ask my dumb Sunday morning questions:
>
> 1) what is PHP
> 2) is there cost to it (if not, where do I get it).
>
> From all the other discussions recently about it, I only want to
implement
> it if it will keep my simple/stupid. My RAQ3i is used for some very
> specific purposes as part of a larger food chain that I don't want to
> disrupt, but a message board would be a nice addition.
>
> Thank,
> Danny
>
> _______________________________________________
> cobalt-developers mailing list
> cobalt-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-developers
>
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