mysql and php

Hello Joe--

My $.02.

If I had to pick between Drumbeat and Visual InterDev, I would go with V
InterDev.  I've used Drumbeat 2K and it drove me *crazy*!  There were little
quirks that I just couldn't work around.   The websites I saw which were created
with Drumbeat 2K  worked extremely s-l-o-w.  I haven't used Visual InterDev
extensively, and the learning curve may be a little steeper, but I get the
feeling it is cleaner and less quirky than Drumbeat2K.  I had posted a request
to another hwg list (I think techniques) for VInterDev users opinions on using
VInterDev and I got very positive feedback.  You could check the archives.
Actually, there should be Drumbeat email in the archives, also.

Have you considered using open source software?  The open source community is
commited to providing software which is completely open about the source code.
"Having free access to the source means that authors are forced to keep to
standards.  If these are not maintained, the deviation is labeled a bug, and if
the author doesn't fix it, someone else will.  Large numbers of independent
programmers, being able to understand what a program does, and ensuring that
standards are maintained, prevent the author from being able to exploit the
user, as happens in the commercial software world."   (from Professional PHP
programming by Chris Scollo et al)  Best of all, open source is free or almost
free.   You download it, install it, study the manual and join the discussion
list for any help you might need.  The development teams monitor the lists, and
are there to get you started.  Then, others are there to help with problems.
Also, as you become more proficient, you can help the newbies.

Now I am a web developer, not a programmer, but I figured as long as I had to
spend time in learning something, why not learn a solid scripting language which
is free, robust, always improving, platform independent and uses a clean and
dynamic design?  I decided using the winning combination of

1)  PHP <http://www.php.net/> also a help: <http://www.phpbuilder.com/> -- PHP
is a server-side scripting language.  It is similar to JSP and ASP, in that it
uses tags <?php....?>.  These are embedded in the HTML page.  These scripts are
executed on the server before the page is sent to the browser, so there is no
issue of browser support for PHP pages.  Unlike ASP, however, PHP is totally
platform-independent, and there are versions for various flavors of Windows,
UNIX and Linux, and for a number of web servers, including Apache and IIS.  And
its free and open source.

2)  MySQL  <http://www.mysql.com/>   --MySQL is a free (or almost free, a
license is required under some circumstances) database management system  which
is extremely fast, maybe the fastest database you can get (see
<http://www.mysql.com/benchmark.html>  , relatively easy to use, understands
SQL, provides high level capabilities in that *many* clients can connect to the
server at the same time, interfaces well with many languages such as PHP,
provides connectivlty and security that you would expect, runs on UNIX and UNIX
flavors, Windows, OS/2, and runs on such hardware from home PCs to high-end
servers.  And its free (or almost free) and open source.

According to a poll by Linux, the database of choice for most users was MySQL,
chosen by Linux users over Oracle, Sybase and others.
<http://www.linux.com/polls/index.phtml?pid=44>

Right now, I am in the middle of a project, a database-driven website, using PHP
/ MySQL.  I can say that it is not the easiest thing I've ever tackled, but is
managable and I am enjoying it.

Good luck in your decision.  HTH,
Margie

>
> A friend of mine mentioned that I could do it with either Drumbeat 2000 or
> with Visual InterDev. Is this true? If so, which program is better and what
> are the potential pitfalls of each.

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