Re: Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages? -- WEB400

Comparing PHP with RPG to me is a like comparing apples and oranges.

You can do it.

Apples and oranges are both fruits, both roundish, and both about the same size. PHP and RPG are both programming languages, both contain a full complement of logic and data structures (loops, conditionals, arrays, variables, etc.), and both can access IBM i resources.

Apples are a little less messy, are better if you want to bake a pie, and contains less citric acid to upset your stomach. RPG is a better at batch processing large amounts of data because that's what it was designed to do. RPG is better integrated into the IBM i because it was created as a proprietary language specifically for the IBM i.

But oranges have their advantages, too. PHP was created as a web development language and blows the socks off RPG in that regard. PHP comes with a lot more delivered functionality than RPG, which can make some tasks (e.g., complex string processing) easier. PHP is a cross-platform language. PHP scripts that run on the IBM i also run on Windows and Linux machines.

Many people eat apples and oranges. They don't see them as an either-or choice.

Kelly Cookson
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Dot Foods, Inc.
217-773-4486 x12676
www.dotfoods.com

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Aaron Bartell
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 9:47 AM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

I like PHP, but here are the things I believe are detractors (since that is
what you were looking for):

- If RPG is the primary language in your shop then adding PHP is adding
complexity. I am not saying it can't be done (many have done it
successfully), I am just saying there is much more complexity and now you
need to keep up with the half-life of information in the PHP space (much
more time consuming than doing the same for RPG which doesn't change nearly
as much - a good and bad thing)

- PHP for the most part is only a web language. For example, it isn't
something you would call for nightly batch processing. RPG on the other
hand can be used for many scenarios and it feel more natural - this makes a
difference to me.

- PHP runs on the IBM i, which is good, but it doesn't run "in" the IBM i.
What I mean by that is it doesn't, as far as I can tell, utilize all of the
things we have become comfortable with in doing debugging and what not (i.e.
if there is an error for a user you check their job and their spool files -
with PHP you no longer have the job log and spool file thing). PHP does
have some very cool logging features, so I am not saying it is bad - it just
doesn't approach it the same as RPG+CGI does, which means you need to
reeducate yourself on how to trouble shoot. Note that reeducation also
needs to happen to some extent when dealing with Apache in the RPG+CGI
scenario.

Just some thoughts.
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
http://mowyourlawn.com/blog/

On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 8:32 AM, Tom Deskevich <
thomas.l.deskevich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I asked a former co-worker this last year. He could not come up with
any.

I would like to compile a list, based on my own experience.

1. The ZEND subsystem sometimes does not come up properly when we
IPL.
I do not have the security to diagnose or change the startup procedure.
So fixing this becomes difficult for me.
But the fact that it usually comes up fine tells me that it is most
likely setup right.

2. Does not seem to be as much help out there on the internet for
the DB2 and I5 commands.
I am trying to sell PHP to the brass, so to speak. I wanted to show them
running a simple program how you can re-use code that is written in RPG
for the 5250 application, VB.NET application and PHP application. I got
the 5250 application done in a few hours. After having a co-worker work
up an example, I can call a stored procedure from the VB.NET
application. Again, just took a few hours. I have been trying to call a
stored procedure from a PHP application for WEEKS. And it is STILL not
working. If I show this to the brass, what if they ask me how long it
took? I don't expect people to program for me. I did puchase and read
The IBM i Programmer's Guide to PHP. I understand that this book cannot
have extensive examples of everything you can do with PHP on the I. And
it did help, but again only took me so for. I thought I could get an
application going without having formal training, but maybe that is what
I need.

3. HTML and Java Script for the interface. This seems to be rarely
mentioned when people are singing the praises of PHP. I tried a number
of tools to create this for me. But
You pay the price of extra overhead and code when you run the
application. It seems better to go with straight HTML and java script. I
have to admit, there is a ton of help out there. But the syntax of this
stuff if really fun, to say the least.

So as I saw somewhere once, try something new, and fail, at least you
are doing SOMETHING. But I just wonder if my efforts may be better spent
on other things.
Especially since I am the only person here who is remotely interested in
PHP. I mentioned earlier about formal training. But how can I sell that?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

And thank all of you for your help and guidance.

Tom Deskevich

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