Comments on: PHP versus Java blogging

By: Asif Chowdhury

Asif Chowdhury — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 15:49:53 +0000

Hmm…When did say that PHP could not be using an OO approach?
In fact PHP supports the creation and employment of classes, the ability to extend them, the ability to override and overload existing methods, plus the abuility to inherit methods and variables from its parent classes… (basically what defines a OO language…Extensibility, Polymorphism, and Inheritance).
My point was that Java has become sooo bloated trying to follow the MVC standards that it’s become much more difficult to design and code.
Case in point…
Try developing a CMS/Portal Application using Java versus PHP…
Both using proper MVC standards, note the difference in ease and timing.
Like I said…proper tool for the proper job. Java is not the best fit for everything.

By: Tom Minderson

Tom Minderson — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:54:57 +0000

Re: For about 75% of all web applications, PHP would make a much better choice. Design and development time is cut in half as opposed to Java Web Appliactions, not to mention maintainability (Which many OO activists would disagre with me) is increased increased at least 3-fold over Java web applications.

I have also been looking for evidence that OOP makes web software more maintainable. I would like to see some practical examples, not yet more animal and geometry examples. I have not been able to find anything that non-OOP code could do just as well if coded smartly, or nearly as well such that the difference is negligable.

By: Asif Chowdhury

Asif Chowdhury — Wed, 07 Jul 2004 16:58:06 +0000

I was truly amazed that someone actually wrote in a forum, what I have been thinking for years. “Use the proper tool for the proper job”. Java isn’t always the best tool to use for a web application. This is all dependent on complexity, however. I’m still in awe how so many developers live and die by the Java sword for web…the original concept was “Write once run anywhere”, Which is what I still believe. Java is a wonderful desktop applications language. It bridges the gap between Unices and Windows in ways no one could dream, however, as a Web language (I know I’ll be lynched for this one) it’s a bloated monster. But as I mentioned earlier, this is all dependent on the complexity of the application. For about 75% of all web applications, PHP would make a much better choice. Design and development time is cut in half as opposed to Java Web Appliactions, not to mention maintainability (Which many OO activists would disagre with me) is increased increased at least 3-fold over Java web applications. I’ve been writing Java code for over 6 years on and off, since 1997. And I’ve been writing PHP code for 4 years (since 2000). And Java definitely has its place, but in the web development arena, PHP will win out 75% of the time.

By: Bill Day

Bill Day — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:06:18 +0000

RE PHP errors: I was adding a feature to my site as you visited, Anthony. It was probably inevitable given all of the great discussion above that someone would visit, and comment, during the five minute period that I was making an update.

By: Anthony Eden

Anthony Eden — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:01:09 +0000

Ironic that the following PHP error occurs in this page:

Parse error: parse error in /usr/home/day/www/htdocs/my-hacks.php on line 20

Seriously, PHP can be used to make good web applications in the same way any other technology can be used. In the end it’s the developer not the language which will result in crappy code.

By: Michael Glenn

Michael Glenn — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 06:51:42 +0000

Java is a great language and we use it to develop our main product because we find it easier for larger web applications. However, PHP is supported on 99.9% of web hosting accounts whereas JSP/Servlets is much smaller. I’m so used to using a Java servlet container that I don’t think much about it but I’m sure the concept of a Java servlet container and all the issues that are associated with it are enough of a headache as well compared to PHP’s Apache integration.

By: Neil Ellis

Neil Ellis — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 02:58:52 +0000

Not saying anything about the quality of blojsom, which I know nothing about. From my point of view though I have to look at the comparitive functionality of something like Tiki. Horses for courses, if I want a blog and only a blog then maybe something like blojsom is what I would need. Java’s such a beast to work with that most Java web apps do something very well but are not functionally rich as a whole. Horses for courses again.

By: David Czarnecki

David Czarnecki — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:20:29 +0000

I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about blojsom. I’ll leave it at that to keep it fair and balanced

By: Neil Ellis

Neil Ellis — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:29:30 +0000

I’ve started a ‘Groovy’ website which uses a PHP engine. You just get so much more choice!
As you said right tool, right job.

By: Guillaume Laforge

Guillaume Laforge — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:27:10 +0000

The right tool for the job.
I’m a Java developer: I wish I could use a Java weblog tool,
but my ISP only provides PHP on its servers, so I use a PHP weblog.
There are some constraints one cannot always overcome