Joe,
I love your enthusiasm and you make sound arguments. But there are two
HUGE assumption being made. The first is that Static typing is
neccessarily better for web development that Dynamic typing. The second
is this assumption that just because a language lets you shortcut then
that you should just not even consider it. Have you ever programmed in
C++??? (rhetorical, I'm sure you have). You think you can do some dumb
stuff with PHP, well you should see what can be done with C++. When it
comes to using the language its about the programmer. You can use a car
to do nasty things, but I choose to drive between the lines.
I really think your argument boils down to static vs dynamic typing. It
doesn't matter to me, I like and use both of them.
Thanks
Bryce Martin
Programmer/Analyst I
570-546-4777
Joe Pluta <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Subject
Jon Paris says that PHP not Easier to Learn than Java
On 2/4/2011 12:17 PM, Jon Paris wrote:
I've been agreeing with so many of your posts lately Joe but it was too
good to last ...
I don't personally know of anyone who has blankly made the kind of
statement that you attribute to those of us who find PHP a good transition
language for an RPG programmer. I don't know anyone who simplistically
states that PHP is easier to learn than Java.
Okay. Gonna quote that a LOT. Jon Paris says that PHP is not easier to
learn than Java. Got it. PHP is a transition language. Transition to
what, we're not sure. Maybe Java.
The syntax is very similar because both "stole" their basic syntax from
C.
Not true. C has nothing for try/catch or object syntax. You might have
gotten partial credit for this answer if you'd said C++ rather than C,
since PHP is actually closer to C++ with the arrow syntax, but C?
I have and do say that PHP can be easier for many RPG programmers to
learn because you can code without having to get totally into OO. I know
personally many programmers (myself included) who tried to learn Java but
were never able to get comfortable with it. Many of those have
subsequently tried pHP and been successful.
You can't program OO PHP but not be able to program Java. The syntaxes
are exactly the same, as I've shown. If you're using just procedural
PHP, that's different. Then you're just using one of a bazillion
scripting languages, many of which are better than PHP.
Java is a great language and works well for many people. So does PHP.
End of story.
No, PHP is not a great language, and certainly not the procedural
version. It's the LDA of programming languages. It's quick and dirty
and easy to use and horrible long term. It allows you to shortcut
proper programming with nasty shortcuts. The best thing about the
language is its OO, which is lifted directly from Java.
PHP is Java without the proper programming practices. C++ redux, but
without the benefits of static typing.
And now you've heard the REST of the story.
Joe
midrange.com
