Facebook still uses PHP. Here's how a Facebook developer describes their use of PHP, HipHop and C:
"HipHop for PHP isn't technically a compiler itself. Rather it is a source code transformer. HipHop programmatically transforms your PHP source code into highly optimized C++ and then uses g++ to compile it."
"One common way to address these inefficiencies is to rewrite the more complex parts of your PHP application directly in C++ as PHP Extensions. This largely transforms PHP into a glue language between your front end HTML and application logic in C++."
So they still use PHP. They just take the complex parts of the PHP and run it through HipHop to compile into C. The C programs are then used as PHP extensions. Like the guy says, PHP becomes the glue between the HTML front end and the C back end.
Now, wouldn't it be cool if Zend and IBM could partner up and get HipHop running on IBM i? We could use an HTML front end, a C back end (which through the magic of ILE could allow reuse of RPG and COBOL), and PHP as the glue that ties it all together.
Here's the article if you want to read more:
http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&story=358
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 Nathan Andelin
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 11:29 AM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?
Well, JavaScript generation is just a minor auxiliary that most people never pay any attention to. But Dreamweaver is the best tool we've found for "writing", "editing", and "managing" HTML, CSS, and JavaScript projects in an integrated & consistent manner.
I don't want to get off topic, either.
It seems that one trap that PHP developers may fall into might be called the "Facebook syndrome", where the applications become robust enough and popular enough, that you begin looking for ways to get them to perform & scale better, after the fact. In the case of Facebook, that led them to transform the code to C.
-Nathan.
----- Original Message ----
From: "TAllen@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <TAllen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Mon, April 19, 2010 9:43:12 AM
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?
Not to get off-topic, but the JavaScript code that DreamWeaver generated
the last time I used it was horrendous. It would be a huge headache to
maintain.
Thanks,
Todd Allen
EDPS
Electronic Data Processing Services
tallen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
midrange.com
