Re: [cobalt-users] ASP - PHP

[Kris Dahl <krislists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 4/25/00 4:56 AM, Michael Zimmermann at zim@xxxxxxxx wrote:

> I'm also interested in a comparision between PHP and ASP
> - especially from one who's experienced with ASP.
> 
> Im having my prejudices therefore I would like to learn.

I have developed in ASP before, and will never go back.

VB script is an utterly asinine language for starters.  I prefer the PERL/C
hybrid syntax that PHP uses.

ASP runs on one platform.  IIS NT.  There are hacks that you can go out and
purchase that will enable you to run it (Such as Halcyon and Chilisoft) with
other web servers.  But as I've said before, are you willing to actually go
out and purchase a hack of a Microsoft hack?  A proprietary solution of a
proprietary solution?  Cobalt has made no indication that they will be
open-sourcing or doing anything like that now that they have acquired
Chilisoft.  You're at the mercy of Microsoft, Chilisoft and Cobalt for your
development environment.  When a security bug comes out, you're just plain
going to have to wait until they get around to fixing it.  Meanwhile its
open season on your server.

PHP is open-source, and free as in beer as well as speech.  Its fast, and it
works natively with like a dozen databases.  It works on NT, Linux, FreeBSD,
or whatever.  Works on Intel, PowerPC, Mips, Alpha, whatever.  Its a dream
to work with, very powerful while remaining easy to use.

The only advantages that ASP has over PHP is that there are visual IDEs
(like Visual InterDev) for ASP.  The other advantage is that if you know
visual basic, it is easier to use ASP.  This means all the people that hack
VB programs and excel macros are going to be more comfortable with it.  That
means its easier to find 'programmers' for ASP and they are cheaper
typically.  That's all fine and dandy, if you want to write shovel-ware web
apps.  If you want serious applications you should have a team of
programmers that are comfortable with pretty much any language (if they know
C or PERL, they will be right at home with PHP).

I realize some people are going to say what about Jscript.  Well, I would
ask for anyone to provide me with a online reference guide for server-side
JScript.  There is some client-side on the microsoft site, but very little
if any documentation on the server side stuff.  Its as if MS decided to
include it just to say "See, where using industry standards!".  Then they
outright don't support or document it.

What about PerlScript?  This is much better, but if I'm not mistaken, you
have to buy this from ActiveState.  You have to buy the server, buy the
server software (and client licenses), install IIS, and then buy Perlscript?
Sounds like a little too much buying.  And you're still dealing with a
proprietary software package.

I am obviously biased.  I think ASP is a poorly implemented, proprietary
system that isn't really good for much of anything and is only popular
because widely adopted by MS IT groups.  I can't understand why people are
going out and supporting stuff like ChilisoftASP and building their
applications from scratch on it when they have the opportunity to build it
using PHP.

As I said, I have worked with both, and will never go back to using ASP.

-k