Simply Server Side

But with what technology?

[Jay_R]

Sorry to burden the forum with such a common question, but it's time for me to get more dynamic. I'll use use JavaScript, but I need/want to head server side. Though, with the plethora of technologies, PHP, Pearl, ASP, ColdFusion, JSP, etc. I'm unsure where to go.

I just want to add such things as dynamic menu's and a simple CGI-script form-to-email script, but soon I want to head into more dataBase driven content... I like OO Programming and it seems that PHP 5 is starting to pull that all together, where I'm not sure Pearl is as elegant.

So, I'm looking for the voice of expereince for some guidance. I think PHP is where I want to put the bulk of my resources. However, I also want to learn how to work with CGI and Pearl just so I am capable.

So I guess I'm looking for feedback, guidance, and learning resource reccomendations.

A good reference and something takes someone with some programming expereince to being proficient with examples and applications would be ideal.

Thanks for the help...

[httpwebwitch]

This forum is biased of course, but seriously having used almost all of the different languages out there (Perl, ASP, JPS, ColdFusion...), PHP is simpler and just better in almost every way you can measure.

Start by getting some good manuals like the IDG PHP Bible and the O'Reilly "PHP Cookbook". Then spend lots of time at php.net, and try picking apart scripts from places like HotScripts.com.

Lurking here is also a good idea. Even being a rather experienced coder, I learn a lot from other participants at WebmasterWorld.

good luck

[Jay_R]

Thanks for the info, your right about the forums, I spend allot more time reading than I do writing... People here are nice and knowledgeable, and I find a lot of help here.

Thanks for the references, I've been looking at both of those (and many others). I don't want a crash course, but I also don't want to learn from something that's weighted done like some references can be. So I guess maybe I should grab a "Cookbook", an intro book, and a reference. Wrox, IDG, Demensions, O'Reilly, Sams, they all have books, and the Amazon reviews tend to lead in circles, oh well...

Thanks for the help,
-Jay

[jatar_k]

well

as long as you're running on som NIX variant box you could have php, perl and mysql

and look we haven't spent a penny on any of it yet (cept the box itself of course) and look at the power we have

That's pretty much all you need

try these on for size too

PHP Books and Resources
[php.net...]
[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...]

MySQL
[mysql.com...]

Learning Perl
[webmasterworld.com...]

[timster]

I also want to learn how to work with CGI and Pearl just so I am capable.

Good idea. You'll use Perl all the time once you get the hang of it, to munge text files, etc.

Programming the Perl DBI
[oreilly.com...]

(unless of course you want to splurge for the whole Perl Bookshelf...)

[Jay_R]

Thanks jatar_k

I really appreciate the resources, consider them bookmarked. I'm going to spend some time looking them over, and I'm sure that will bring me some direction...

Also, thanks for the reference timster, I’ve been mulling over the Perl critters of O'Reilly for awhile. I've noticed many of the titles are like 4 years old. To me, that's a warning sign to look for a newer resource. But I'm guessing Perl has stayed much the same over the past few years, quite an exception to other technologies out there...

thanks again...
-Jay

[timster]

Yep, the O'Reilly's Perl DBI book is a bit old (written for Perl 5.6) but has aged pretty well.

I like it because it doesn't assume alll your Perl scripts will be CGI's, which some of the newer books do. (I find myself writing web font ends in PHP and munging the data in Perl.)