Newbie: PHP or Microsoft

[mtech2008]

I have been working in tech for a few years now on the networking/support side. I am considering going to school again and then working into development of web related fields.

Can someone give me some pros and cons on going into PHP/MYSQL vs. learning MSSQL and .NET technologies?

I am assuming they both lead to the same end result, database driven websites or web enabled apps (pardon me if I am base there).

My first concern would be the ability to get started working in the field. Is one set of technologies easier to find jobs in? If I search job boards it seems MYSQL comes up a LOT more than MSSQL. However, I do some work now with MSSQL and would hate to throw away the experience.

Any ideas or correcting my assumptions would be great, thanks in advance.

 

[vacunita]

PHP and MYSQL are free for certain uses MSSQL and .NET are not.

PHP and MYSQL don't really depend on a Windows platform for development.

MSSQL and .NET do.

Yes you can install a NET package for Apache and run ASP driven websites in other OSes that can run Apache but its not straight forward.
And as far as I know MS SQL is not available for anything other than Windows OSes. MYSQL runs on everything.

Sorry I'm a little biast towards PHP and MYSQL.

As far as real jobs go, I've seen pretty much an equal share of offerings for both.
It depends on what you want really. Though I have seen MS SQL and NET jobs paying a bit more than PHP and MYSLQ sometimes.

As far as throwing away your MS SQL knowledge, even though they differ in the finer points, the basic SQL language used is pretty much the same for both(hence the name Standard Query Language). So your basic knowledge is still there. There might be some differing functions in MYSQL or what not but the basics are already there. And you can make use of them.




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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[ingresman]

an advantage of MS is .net is not limited to web apps, you can create desk top apps and stored procedures in any .Net language.
asp.net has nice seperation of logic and presentation. PHP gets a bit messy embedding embedding code into HTML, the free development tools (the express editions) are very good.
The framework handles a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
The .NET code is compiled so is fast and secure, you get lots of goodies on the .NET framework such as the Windows Communication Framework, Windows workflow, LINQ etc,
IT really comes down to what you are comfortable with, but I would think the MS type jobs are more avaiable than PHP jobs

 

[Foamcow]

Just to be a pedant SQL = Structured Query Language, not 'Standard'

Other than that, I pretty much echo Vacunita.

My main reason for not going down the ASP.NET route is the cost involved.

I also think that whilst PHP can be messy it doesn't HAVE to be. That's down to the developer. Sure, bad code is written in PHP, but bad code is written in ASP.NET too.

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[ingresman]

Yep agree , it's just when you get lines like:
<img src="<?php echo $img ?>">
it can look confusing and be difficult to understand.
and ye loads of bad code is wrtien in asp.net.
cost is interesting, at least you don't need a windows licence to run linux !

 

[jpadie]

you don't need to use this syntax:

<img src="<?php echo $img ?>">

if you have short_open_tag switched on you can do this instead

<img src="<?=$img?>">

and you can also turn on ASP tags so that you could do this

<img src="<%=$img%>">

but beware portability if you don't have control over your php.ini

 

[southbeach]

Just what is wrong with you learning both? Based on my own experience, I would suggest you tackle what I think is the simplest of the two, PHP and MySQL. There are tones of sources (hence, this forum) where you can learn a lot.

As a programmer I can tell you that no matter which development tool you use, it very much is up to you and your skills. Many will argue that whatever one tool does can be done with the other, and some will dive into the depths of how one is better than the other. Do not limit your options right off the start of your "programming" career. As a programmer, you MUST be able to switch development tool in a moment notice. You will not always have the privilege of choosing the tool, not if you want the job.

Give yourself the opportunity to learn both. Buy a PHP book and start coding. Find a site you like and start asking yourself the question "How can I do that?" and go for it. Download WAMP, it is easy to install and it simplifies the "start-up" process.

I strongly believe that there are four things you must concentrate on:
1) Add
2) View
3) Edit
4) Delete
Once you learn those four things, the rest is RND (research and development).

As you start this new path, start building-up a toolbox. In this case, this is a library of code you have found useful and believe to need in the future. Also keep a list of useful resources and bookmark this forum.

I could go on and on but I hope I've said enough to have given you enough for you to go on ...

Good luck and welcome to our wonderful world of software development!

Be aware, once you become a programmer, you will start looking at your friends differently ... Do not know why, but we tend to develop a sense of superiority.



--
SouthBeach
The good thing about not knowing is the opportunity to learn - Yours truly, 2008.

 

[jez]

not much to add, but as a PHP/MySql developer you'd be surprised the number of times i have to have something to do with a MS Sql database.

Also being a contractor, i can tell you that the jobs are fairly even, but maybe a few more .Net jobs. However, there are also more .Net people (if you count many of the out sourcing places in India and the like).

You should get work doing either and its personal choice on how you like the style. You can try both for free with trials on visual studio etc and tools like WAMP for PHP.

Have fun.

 

[Foamcow]

I'd also add that it depends what background you come from.
If you are used to Microsoft's way of doing things you'll possibly find .NET and the whole envirnoment comfortable.

For someone like me though - self taught, no formal IT training past 6th Form, worked with Macs all my working life - the MS world can often be full of jargon and language that just doesn't mean anything.

Personally, and basing this on years of observation, I find MS technology/language to be unnecessarily over complicated. Simple things are spoken about using complex and proprietery language. I sometimes wonder if this is intentional.

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[jez]

Code editor Komodo (from Active State, the perl people), has versions for Win32, Linux, Mac so i am able to use the same editor on any system.

Also i use a macbook for development and on site stuff and have linux on another machine at home.

 

[Foamcow]

There's a reason most of the 'hot' web designers use Macs you know. Web development on a Mac is a breeze!

Firstly, OSX comes with Apache built in! Not sure if it has PHP support 'out of the box' though.

But there are a number of reasons you might want to look at something called MAMP which does what WAMP or XAMP does (Apache/PHP/MySQL).

There are loads of great editors out there. I use TextMate but you might want to look at BBEdit, Smultron or Coda and Espresso (still in development).

Coda deserves a special mention as it incorporates a CSS editor, text editor, FTP client, Terminal and Reference material in one package. It's really good but I prefer Textmate as a text editor. Espresso is similar in concept to Coda.

If you are that way inclined you might like to look at CSSEdit too. Again, I just prefer to code using TextMate.

FTP - I use Transmit. But Cyberduck was always pretty good to (and free).

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Tyres: Mine's a pint of the black stuff.
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