PHP vs Perl

[ScriptWorkz]

I like the way you think and respond ScriptWorkz. I'm not intending this as a bash, I'm just pointing out what I don't like and wanting to find a better solution. So many people would take it as an insult to their favorite programming language and get defensive (as can be seen above). This could have easily escalated into a flame but I think both of us are only interested in exploring the options and learning from each other.

I'm not hating PHP, it's just that after you use other languages and get used to some of what they offer, it's a pain to go back to PHP. Many PHP programmers that learn Ruby feel this way. They don't want to go back because it feels like having to use a horse once you've driven a car.

I've recently been studying compiler design and comparing a lot of different languages. I want to write my own language as an exercise.

Actually, what I would really love to see is for something like Microsoft's dynamic language runtime or Sun's Da Vinci Machine project that can be written in any language and deployed to a server. Too many environments force you to use a language. They are going to compile to bytecode anyways, why not let you write your own bytecode in whatever language you want? The main problem is having a common open-source platform to deploy to.

I've also thought it might be cool to implement a virtual machine inside of PHP so you can run bytecode compiled in other languages. Obviously not ideal for performance, but for backend admin tasks you aren't submitting hundreds of forms per second.

No point in bashing / flaming in an argument that doesn't have any definite right answer.
Besides, not really that often there is a thread like this here.

There won't be any standardised system that lets us deploy anywhere with any language any time soon, but i guess one can dream.

I just mainly didn't want to see php get a bum rap in this thread, some people have different opinions on what a language should be and as you said everyone that works w/ code can be a little touchy about their personal favorite. As for me, i like the stricter syntax in php that you complain about, that structure allows me to ensure that things behave the way i meant them too.

[mrkris]

I'm not hating PHP, it's just that after you use other languages and get used to some of what they offer, it's a pain to go back to PHP. Many PHP programmers that learn Ruby feel this way. They don't want to go back because it feels like having to use a horse once you've driven a car.

Ding ding! I find it a pain to go back to PHP for this very reason. I love PHP for what it is, but doing stuff in a language that is as object oriented as Python/Ruby, makes other languages look like childs play.

[ScriptWorkz]

Ding ding! I find it a pain to go back to PHP for this very reason. I love PHP for what it is, but doing stuff in a language that is as object oriented as Python/Ruby, makes other languages look like childs play.

See i learnt ruby after php but with my mindset, i prefer to work w/ php, i don't like having too much control of the way things work taken from me, and i have my own standardised code library i use stuff from in most of my projects, so i already have a bunch of nice classes, functions, etc... that take alot of the heavy lifting out of the things i do all the time.

[Tempest]

Functions are second-rate citizens in PHP. They can't be stored in variables and can't be passed as parameters.

Look into call_user_func();

[Tempest]

Okay, yeah . . . the base is probably there, getting it to work is something else. One module needs another which needs three more, etc, etc

Yeah it can be a pain but it also depends on your host... Usually the only module(s) I need installed are the DBI/DBD:mysql ones.. The biggest problem these days is hosts that don't know what they're doing any more.. Was doing a script for someone and his host (isprime) got it wrong about 3 times before they finally got the proper modules installed.

[brandonstills]

Look into call_user_func();

I've used PHP reflection before. It's not the same. Thanks though.

[Mutt]

wow this thread smells of geek - don't stab anybody with your slide rules if anybody loses their cool!

i keed i keed

i love programmers

[ScriptWorkz]

I've used PHP reflection before. It's not the same. Thanks though.

call_user_func doesn't really have anything to do specifically with reflection, it's just a way to call variable functions (atleast that's the reason i'm assuming he mentioned it), http://us.php.net/call-user-func

[nation-x]

If you work on CMS solutions alot and have time to learn Python then I highly recommend Django

[Klen]

I cant belive nobody mentioned TCL yet

[ScriptWorkz]

I cant belive nobody mentioned TCL yet

I can believe it, i dunno how many of the people in this thread have ever heard of TCL let alone used it. I myself have only played w/ it briefly, i think at the time i was screwing w/ a framework called wxWindows.

[fhgmaster]

If you want to write code that people can simply upload to a server, stick with PHP.

Frameworks like RoR, Django or other programming languages might be more fun or speed up your development, but you'll spend the time saved explaining your users/customers why they can't use your program with their hoster.