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Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

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31–40 of 85 posts

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#31
post #10

You might want to have a look at haXe - a language that compiles to multiple backends including PHP, Javascript and Flash. It's not my favorite language by a long shot, but it's not PHP.

I think that it's Exactly what i was looking for! Thanks a lot. I will definitely look at it! :)

Delivering work for paying clients in a vanity language because you're bored of PHP sounds pretty close to malpractice.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#32
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that it's Exactly what i was looking for! Thanks a lot. I will definitely look at it! :)

Delivering work for paying clients in a vanity language because you're bored of PHP sounds pretty close to malpractice.

You're absolutely right. Something may be wrong with me but i still do find it interesting.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#33
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes i tried them. That's why i mentioned "_reliable_ webhost" ;) . But yes, some websites could be hosted with them, it's just not good enough when we need something to be 100% uptime.

Plus, using things other than PHP is still pretty difficult with dreamhost.

It is? Here's a python CGI script:

http://juliusdavies.ca/svn/viewvc.cgi/not-yet-commons-ssl/

The viewvc.cgi starts with:

#!/usr/bin/env python

I just dropped the script into my ~/juliusdavies.ca/svn/ dreamhost directory. Didn't seem hard to me.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#34
post #14

Look for webfaction as a hosting provider. It's cheap and you have lots more options than just PHP. Plus you get shell access. You can even set up your own apache instance. Other than that, don't worry too much about the language. Find something you like and stick to it. Just remember to always learn new things and don't get set in your ways.

++ for web faction. They're really inexpensive, straight forward to use, and you can use Rails, Django, Merb, Pylons, etc... Plus, you get shell access, and you don't have to do a lot of the server admin stuff if you don't want to.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#36
post #20

"What do you do when you can't stand PHP anymore?" Reevaluate what's really important to you. I love to program, but it's NEVER about the language. I know many of them, and AFAIC they all have their pros and cons. I suppose that if I was a "language-snob", I'd be "immensely bored" too, no matter which language I was using. So if it's not about the language, then what is it about? You already answered your own questio…

What do you mean by being "solution-snob"? Looking for the appropriate tool(language) for the given task? Thanks in advance.

Just a silly word I made up to fit in with your writing style (which I really like, by the way).

I guess what I'm really trying to say in a general sort of way: as soon as you stop worrying about your problems and focus on your client's problems, you both win.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#37
post #20

"What do you do when you can't stand PHP anymore?" Reevaluate what's really important to you. I love to program, but it's NEVER about the language. I know many of them, and AFAIC they all have their pros and cons. I suppose that if I was a "language-snob", I'd be "immensely bored" too, no matter which language I was using. So if it's not about the language, then what is it about? You already answered your own questio…

He's not being a language snob. It's just plain hard to write good code in languages like Java and PHP. You spend so much time fighting the language and tools that you barely have time to think about solving your client's problems. That gets boring and tedious, so I can understand why the OP is bored.

(The fact that some people have tolerance for this stupidity is not worth arguing about. Some people enjoy digging ditches, too, but the OP is probably not one of them.)

Edit: Ah yes, let the downmods begin. "He said something bad about your favorite language!!"

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#38
post #24

If you're comfortable with Linux, an option for you is running a Linode or Slicehost ($20/month) and hosting your clients on it. This will give you total control of the hosting environment, and a residual income. You'll have plenty of horsepower for Rails or whatever else you want to use, and as you grow, you can buy more nodes. Beware, though: when you put on a system administration hat you're taking on a lot of new…

A basic $20/month Slicehost or Linode is probably going to be good enough for 2 "real" applications and maybe a few CGI pages, but not much more. The limiting factor is memory -- modern languages like to use a lot of it.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#39
post #6

Python + Google App Engine

After switching to this combo, I find myself reluctant to continue work on my apps still using PHP & MySQL. They feel somehow... fragile now. Before I used to check on my servers all the time, now I feel peace of mind that my app is still running, even though I haven't checked on it for a while. I feel like I might even be able to enjoy my coming vacation.

Re: Ask HN: I can't stand PHP anymore. What else can I choose?

#40
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that it's Exactly what i was looking for! Thanks a lot. I will definitely look at it! :)

Delivering work for paying clients in a vanity language because you're bored of PHP sounds pretty close to malpractice.

Not really. If you don't like working with a particular tool, any work that you do with that tool will be fundamentally substandard. So if the same results could be achieved with a better tool, then your work should also be better.
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