04 Jul 2007

The Uncomfortable Truth About PHP

I use PHP for most of my server-side coding, but I can’t honestly say that I love it as a language. For me, its appeal is largely based on ubiquity, compatibility and cost; the vestigial oddities, mess of functions and slightly iffy syntax are tolerable.

When you look at where PHP works well as a language, and start thinking about how the less effective areas could be improved, you end up with some uncomfortable conclusions. Take out the messy bits, keep the simplicity, sharpen up some of the syntax, and… er… you realise that PHP could simply be replaced with JavaScript/ECMAScript. Let’s be honest and admit that someone has already got near to where PHP is heading, with the huge added bonus of consistency with client-side scripting.

Server-side JavaScript has been available in various forms for years, but no one is promoting a free, modern, well-supported, easy-to-install PHP competitor. If Adobe could bear to admit that ColdFusion is less than compelling then it’d make sense for them to extend their AIR and Tamarin work to the server to woo developers, but I’m not holding my breath.