Choosing ASP or PHP for Your Web Site

When putting together a corporate web site, one of the biggest decisions in the planning process is which technology to use for it. The two most popular options are ASP and PHP, but choosing one or the other can often be a chore.

Providing COMPUTER SUPPORT IN GONZALES, LA, I’ve seen plenty of sites running with each technology, and there are specific benefits to each option.

The single biggest difference between ASP and PHP is simply the server technology. While technology exists to run ASP websites on open source Linux-based servers, the only official ASP platform is IIS on Windows Server. If you expect to get reliable and stable performance from your ASP web site, you simply must run it on Windows.

PHP, on the other hand, can be run on several platforms. If you are already running a web server, PHP is very likely to be available on your existing platform, whether it’s Windows-based or not. So if you’re not already on Windows servers, or planning a move to them for other reasons, PHP is generally a faster and easier choice.

Many companies are concerned about the cost of development environments. It is commonly held, though incorrect, that ASP requires expensive development tools to use. In fact, ASP – like PHP – can benefit from a commercial IDE like Visual Studio, but can also be written in simple text editing applications like Notepad. Similarly, there are many professional-level IDEs for PHP which rival the functionality and efficiency of Visual Studio, available in a wide range of prices. Guidance in which option is better-suited to your specific project is available from LOUISIANA TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, a provider of IT SUPPORT GONZALES, LA.

While there are many ongoing arguments about the capabilities of ASP and PHP relative to one another, both are highly capable languages which can handle most development tasks. The major concern for most shops should be what skills are available in-house and for hire, rather than which technologies may be marginally more effective; even if a particular choice will reduce development and implementation time, this must be balanced against the cost of developers who can make use of that choice. Some employment markets have more developers of one variety than the other, and the particular conditions in your field will vary.

Finally, consider the possibility of using Ruby on Rails or another less-popular technology. Some customers for COMPUTER SUPPORT IN GONZALES have had great results working in environments which go against the grain, and focus on options which might not otherwise have been considered. By surveying your existing talent for skills that may relate to your project, you may find not only greater savings, but a tighter alignment with your company’s direction and goals.

In the end, which language should power your website is not so much a question of how capable it is, but what skills your team brings to the table – and which technology platform you’re using.

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