Alternatives
to PHP include Microsoft's Active Server Pages and ASP.NET.
When developing applications in PHP it is frequently useful to be able to access data
stored in databases. The most popular database for use with PHP is MySQL. PHP also makes it possible to
connect to a wide range of other databases including SQL Server and Oracle.
Advantages to PHP
The open source nature of PHP means that is is
available for a wide range of operating systems. PHP programmers tend to prefer that their
websites are hosted on Linux servers. Many hosting companies offer Linux hosting plans,
and they tend to be cheaper than the equivalent Windows ASP.NET hosting plans (although
this is less common now). Many Linux hosting plans come bundled with MySQL databases, so
it's possible to use them to set up database connected websites.
Problems with PHP
PHP is immensely popular, however it does have some issues. One major problem as far as
programmers go is that there are a large number of PHP functions to remember. The naming
conventions are not as good as in some other programming languages, and there are annoying
inconsistencies.
PHP, ASP and other web scripting languages tend to intersperse the programming code
with the HTML used to format the appearance of the web page. This can make a website
difficult to maintain, especially if it needs to be <i>re-skinned</i> with a
new website design. More modern programming environments like ASP.NET get around this by
separating design and code into separate files. Storing the website's content in a
database also increase the ease in which a website can be redesigned.
PHP Application Developers
If you want to build a custom built website in PHP then you need to hire a PHP
developer. These can be easily found by searching for them online. For small projects it's
worthwhile hiring a freelance developer. When hiring a freelance software developer it's a
good idea to ask them to show you previous work they have done.
It's usually better to hire a freelance programmer that has worked as a programmer in a
structured environment such as a software house or larger web development company. They
will be more clued up about project management issues. Their code will tend to be higher
quality and much easier to manage. Finally they will probably have much more of an
awareness of how to write secure website application code.
Application development is increasingly outsourced to companies overseas. Popular
countries for outsourcing web development include India and the Philippines. These
countries have large, English speaking workforces who have been trained to degree level in
software development. Furthermore the low cost of living in these countries means that
developers can afford to work for much lower salaries when bidding for work.
When outsourcing PHP application development to another country it's essential not to
look solely at the price the developer is bidding for. Very low bids and estimates could
indicate that corners could be cut, or the developer is not the best available. When
outsourcing to countries in which you're not familiar with one good idea is to look for a
development company that has project manager through which you can liase with in order to
ensure that your PHP application development is carried out as you require it to be.
