WebServer Scripting- Perl or PHP?

dman777 · 05-26-2012, 02:36 AM

I'm new to WebServer scripting. I was wondering among the community which is prefered these days for it- Perl or PHP?

uhelp · 05-26-2012, 02:48 AM

I prefer python.

audriusk · 05-26-2012, 06:16 AM

Actually, you can do web programming in many languages, Perl and PHP being only two examples. People even do it in JavaScript these days (yes, on the server). So, if you know any programming language (especially interpreted one, like the ones you've noted), there's a good chance you'll find web frameworks and other tools for it.

I personally use Python for web programming, but that's because I like Python in general and know it quite well. If you're going to check it out, there are many web frameworks to choose from. Django is probably the most popular, but there are others equally good, like Flask or Pyramid.

uhelp · 05-26-2012, 06:32 AM

and don't forget the Web2Py Framework.......

dugan · 05-26-2012, 12:36 PM

You can't go wrong with Python and Django. Without exception, other Python web frameworks have tried to distinguish themselves from Django not by having more features, but by being more streamlined.

Here's a video about the design decisions behind Web2Py, It should help you make an informed decision:

http://pyvideo.org/video/714/web2py-...d-ideas-we-had

As for web frameworks for other languages, here are two new and interesting ones:

Don't subject yourself to PHP unless you have no other choice. For example, you need to work with existing PHP software, or you've picked out a PHP-only host.

anomie · 05-27-2012, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dman777

I'm new to WebServer scripting. I was wondering among the community which is prefered these days for it- Perl or PHP?

I would say it depends on the size and the nature of the web applications you'll be developing.

I can speak to what I (myself) have done:

Small mod_perl web applications that interact with Shibboleth, MySQL, and OpenLDAP.
Small PHP web applications that interact with Shibboleth, MySQL, and a local filesystem.

Both required a small learning curve, and neither was particularly painful. I do find Perl to be a much more "natural" language than PHP. (For some reason I always feel like I'm contorting PHP to do what should be tasks that are logically straightforward.)

I'd say it's easy to get up and running quickly for PHP. There's a good reason the language is so popular.

If your web application is large, or if you'll be developing many related applications, you probably do want to invest the time into installing, configuring, and learning a well-vetted framework (as others mentioned).

dugan · 05-31-2012, 11:57 AM

If you're even thinking of PHP for any reason other than need, (PHP-only software, PHP-only webhost, etc), then have a look at this:

PHP: a fractial of bad design

anomie · 05-31-2012, 01:48 PM

Good article. I liked his analogy.

809areacode · 05-31-2012, 02:21 PM

I've always been a fan of CGI in C.

dman777 · 05-31-2012, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 809areacode

I've always been a fan of CGI in C.

So, instead of using scripting you write C programs and use CGI to interface them?

809areacode · 05-31-2012, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dman777

So, instead of using scripting you write C programs and use CGI to interface them?

Exactly. Your server just runs the program and gives the user the output. E.g.:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
   printf("Content-type: text/html\n\n");
   printf("<html><body>Hello, world!</body></html>");
   return 0;
}

Of course, I'd actually separate the HTML from the code, but... you get the idea.

Edit: They do have to be compiled, and given an extension your server recognizes as a cgi script, though.

gcc -o mypage.cgi mypage.c

lykwydchykyn · 05-31-2012, 04:19 PM

It's become popular to dismiss PHP, but it nevertheless works quite well and can be found on nearly any web host. It's just one of those languages (like javascript) that allows you to write bad code if you aren't disciplined.

I've written web apps in Python too. It was nice in some ways, but a pain to set up on the web server and I kept missing a lot of the convenient web-oriented functions I missed from PHP.

dugan · 06-01-2012, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lykwydchykyn

It's just one of those languages (like javascript) that allows you to write bad code if you aren't disciplined.

(The entirety of) PHP itself is bad code written by people who aren't disciplined, so this argument doesn't really work.

resetreset · 06-07-2012, 10:20 AM

Don't use Perl for server side stuff. PHP is more just *designed* for that. (with Perl, you might end up having to put large amounts of HTML in print statements, which is hellacious!).

Sergei Steshenko · 06-07-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by resetreset

...(with Perl, you might end up having to put large amounts of HTML in print statements, which is hellacious!).

I don't think so. Try http://search.cpan.org/search?query=...plate&mode=all .

Though yes, strictly speaking, PHP was designed for web.