In response to your bullet points... 1. Built in mysql_ functions in php (does perl have this?) Perl does not have "built in" functions for MySQL or any other database. The Perl functions are all added through modules. This is somewhat annoying as compared to PHP in that if you want to keep things current, for the sake of keeping current, you have to update not only Perl, but the DBI module and the DBD driver module also. This is not to say that you need to keep all of these individual components "current". 2. Php may be faster. This is true, more so in some situations than in others. If you are dealing with Apache, you can compile Perl directly into the web server as a module. This is very efficient. However, my understanding is that getting Perl compiled into Apache is very tricky. 3. Embedded in html - no separate cgi directory needed. Yes. The PHP code can be directly imbedded into your HTML pages, but this is not always the best way to go. Often you will want to "extract" some information like database user IDs and passwords and store these in an alternate directory location for security reasons. You can also "include" other files with commonly used functions and these may or may not reside in your regular website structure. 4. Perl is more mature - more support - more depth to language. Yes. Perl is more mature in that it has most definitely been around much longer. In fact, PHP was derived from the authors frustrations with using certain aspects of Perl. That said, remember that Perl is NOT a web scripting language, it is a multipurpose scripting language that has been extended to handle web scripting. PHP on the other hand is a dedicated web scripting language. The key thing to remember is that Perl and PHP are both tools. Some people may prefer one tool over another for their own personal reasons. Pick the tool that best suits your purpose, and the one that you feel most comfortable with. If you have a LOT of Perl CGI experience, I don't know that PHP would really offer you a great reason to go out and learn another language (thought PHP is quite similar). I would recommend PHP if you are new to web scripting though, simply because this is exactly what PHP has been developed for from the ground up. Good luck, and I hope this helps. I am sure that some of the other experts, of which I am not one, will chime in to add their opinions and correct any of my errors. One other big advantage of PHP is this mailing list. The people in this list are quite knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I honestly have not found a group this supportive and responsive for my Perl scripting. (This last may sound like sucking up, but it's the honest truth.) -----Original Message----- From: Mignon Hunter [mailto:hunter@tic.toshiba.com] Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 12:43 PM To: php-db@lists.php.net Subject: compare php and perl Can anyone out there compare these two using with mysql and web apps - What I can gather so far from my limited experience with both and a little googling: 1. Built in mysql_ functions in php (does perl have this?) 2. Php may be faster. 3. Embedded in html - no separate cgi directory needed. 4. Perl is more mature - more support - more depth to language. Thx -- Mignon Hunter Web Developer Toshiba International 713.466.0277 x 3461 -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
