Java or PHP?

[fsn812]

Who here would prefer Java over PHP, or PHP over JAVA?

If you prefer one over the other, for whatever reason or application, why?

Specific code comparisons are appreciated

[jwenting]

Java all the way. PHP is an invitation to messy and spaghetti code, no incentive to modular programming at all.
No separation between business and presentation code.
Basically it's very JSP 0.92 without the capability to use Java beans.

[server_crash]

I don't know if this will help or not. I've never used or had the desire to learn PHP, but since I haven't I can't say that it's worse or better than Java. Now, I do know a lot of Java(not compared to wenting though!). In Java, you can create desktop and web applications, which I'm not sure you can do the same with PHP. I've written some pretty powerful web applications and some powerful desktop apps. Java is cross platform so you can use it on any OS.

Another thing, Java is OO and most colleges and universities are switching from C++ to teach Java. If your young, Java would be a good one to learn if your interested in learning important concepts and intend on a programming job.

[fsn812]

PHP4 has been OO. PHP5 is OO, and in much better standing for OO than PHP4. PHP5 contains many of the same security in OO as Java does now (public,private,etc etc). You can use the Zend encoder to encode your PHP code, so thats not really an issue either.

I'm partial to the license provided by PHP as opposed to SUN as well.

For desktop applications though, I'd have to go with Java.

That's my two cents.

[vimkar]

depends on what do you want to do with it ..
i am not a jave/php guru but i can say that java is a complex progamming language ...

instead php is only a "web " language .... it suits only for web programming ...

[Troy]

I'm a "professional web developer". For over 10 years, I've developed browser-based, database applications. I started my programming career writing client-server apps with PL/B. I moved to CGI web apps using PL/B. Then I moved to ASP/VBScript and SQL Server for web dev. When ASP.NET came on the scene, I barfed, then I moved to PHP/MySQL. I really, really, love PHP compared to what I've known before. I've never worked with Java web dev.

Here's one thing I can tell you. As a "PHP programmer", many people won't consider you a "real programmer"--even though the langauge is very OO. In my PHP apps, I write classes, I use inheritance, I interact with external libraries and databases, and most all the other programming constructs used by all programmers. But for whatever reason, people see that you develop web applications, and they think "Oh, you create websites...your an HTML guy." (Can you tell I'm frustrated by this?! :))

Java will allow you to make more money and as stated earlier, you can write desktop apps as well as web apps with Java. As a Java programmer you can be a "real programmer". ;)

I don't think the Java guys can argue that PHP--for a beginner--will be much faster to get the hang of. I also think a beginner will be able to figure out how to configure the server environment for PHP quicker than JSP. PHP can also be used to do your server shell scripting. I enjoy the fact I can use the same language to write my web apps as I use to write advanced shell scripts to manage my hosting business. (To my knowledge, you can't use Java to write *nix shell scripts....am I wrong? It has happened before...once. :))

I think the fact that Oracle now includes PHP in their products speak strongly that PHP is a respectable path.

I'm not saying PHP is better than Java. They both have some reasons why you may choose one over the other.

By the way, ASP.NET for web dev has some of the same benefits of the Java path in that the languages you use to develop ASP.NET apps can also be used to develop desktop apps. It's "real programming". Most people use either VB.NET or C# to write ASP.NET apps. Those 2 languages can also be used to develop Window's services and rich desktop apps. PS: I hate .NET

[bwest]

While Java is an excellent language, (My formal schooling was 100% java) I will only program web-apps in php. Its faster to learn, easier to find resources for, and can be just as "clean" as java if you know what your doing. In most cases you are probably going to be using php for queries, input/output processing, and dynamic results. Well its not like there's a lot to that stuff so it would be hard to make "spaghetti-code" if you tried.

-B

[audas]

Flash, pure and simple.

[guideseeq]

Who here would prefer Java over PHP, or PHP over JAVA?

If you prefer one over the other, for whatever reason or application, why?

Specific code comparisons are appreciated

If looking for a nicely paid job and a not lasting developer challenging journey: Java
For corporate-level high scale, huge coding projects: Java
For programming beginners, looking for weekend freelance, just warm-up hobby programming, for personal Web sites: PHP

[Pimp Daddy]

I don't really buy the argument that Java is the only thing to be used for high-level corporate web design. PHP is one of the most popular scripting languages on the planet and it has also gained OOP capabilities recently. It is quite easy to pick up and is used by thousands of of companies.

I would only consider using Java for desktop apps - unless a job said otherwise. Having said that, Java would be first first choice for desktop usage either. Even though the JVM enables portability across platforms such as Linux, Windows and Solaris, it makes any apps created in the language slower as the JVM takes up vital memory.

Other multi-platform languages such as C++ are faster because they have no virtual machine. My preferred desktop app language is C# although I will use the most suitable thing for the job.

As for web dev, I would always choose PHP.

[audas]

I don't really buy the argument that Java is the only thing to be used for high-level corporate web design. PHP is one of the most popular scripting languages on the planet and it has also gained OOP capabilities recently. It is quite easy to pick up and is used by thousands of of companies.

I would only consider using Java for desktop apps - unless a job said otherwise. Having said that, Java would be first first choice for desktop usage either. Even though the JVM enables portability across platforms such as Linux, Windows and Solaris, it makes any apps created in the language slower as the JVM takes up vital memory.

Other multi-platform languages such as C++ are faster because they have no virtual machine. My preferred desktop app language is C# although I will use the most suitable thing for the job.

As for web dev, I would always choose PHP.

All true, i also use flash to deliver desktop apps now-days with north code, swfKit and ZINC, very powederfull stuff.

[dojo]

I preffer php ... nevee worked too much with Java

[etechsupport]

PHP was designed specifically for Web development with an edge as a development tool.

Intranet Design Magazine explains:

"PHP was built with the needs of Web developers in mind, Unlike other cumbersome, overhead-laden approaches, PHP is lightweight and focused on the Web - where it can solve complex problem scenarios quicker and more easily than comparable technologies."

[alabastida]

Well, speaking as an experienced Java developer (11 yrs), i think a lot of us have underestimated PHP's power, i have been doing lately some apps for my own company for administration purposes and decided to try to create them in PHP, and after looking deep inside its capabilities, i can say is a very powerful and lightweight language even for corporate developing, and I'm very satisfied with it.

Just take a look at Facebook, a huge demanding site developed in PHP mainly, that's a great indication that we should be looking at to show us that PHP CAN do it, just using it properly with good standards.

Take a look at CodeIgniter, Simphony or CakePHP MVC Frameworks, actually they are pretty nice and works really well, i developed my apps with CodeIgniter.

That's my two cents to this one :)

Adrian L.

[vaultdweller123]

I would prefer PHP over JAVA...

PHP = less code, light, no compile, easy to learn, use variable directly without declaration

JAVA = hard code, heavy, compile to run, hard to learn, strict variable-must declare

hugeee.. difference....

[wrivera]

Java is a true programming language that supports multithreading and has more to offer. PHP is a scripting language that executes lines of code at a time. Even when you program using oop principals your still limited or in most cases utilizing many work arounds outside of PHP to accomplish your goals especially on the web. Things that you need ajax for are not needed with Java.

[apegram]

Personally, I'm not a fan of PHP, but I don't really have a dog in the fight because I don't use Java, either, as my place of employment does .NET.

All other things behind held equal, my "unofficial official do not try this at home" litmus test is what's in demand in the job market. Head over to dice.com and plug in PHP, you'll get 1653 job listings right now. Plug in Java, the number is 9895.

If you can't decide, I say go where the jobs are.

[TerryTurner]

Go with PHP over the use of JavaScript. PHP is more search engine friendly contrasted to JavaScript.

[WaltP]

Learn both. They both have their uses and one can do things better than the other in many cases. It also gives you the ability to choose the best language for the job.

[mama_rock]

i did learn java but not php. i learn java, but given task with javascript. i learn php (GUI only) but not the coding but given task for the coding of the php. so, other than www.php.net, where else can i find the source of php coding and javascript...