Re: Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

[Kelly Cookson <KCookson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I like loose typing of variables because I can avoid some of the monkey work writing variable definitions (i.e., "WORKING-STORAGE" sections in COBOL). PIC this, PIC that. Oops, can't move PIC X into a PIC S9 COMP-3, so gotta use REDEFINE and recompile.  

When I write a PHP function, I can make up a return variable name on the fly, and it doesn't matter if I'm returning characters, numbers, or arrays. I can also change the type of data the function returns without having to change the variable definitions everywhere the function is called. Similarly, when I call a PHP function, I can make up a variable name on the fly to receive the output, and it doesn't matter what kind of output is being passed back. 

But, if you want to call it laziness, guilty as charged. ;-)

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: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 4:16 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

But here's my question.  How often do you actually prefer a variable to hold
a character in one line of code and then have that same variable hold an
integer in the next?  In all my uses of PHP that has only led to hard to
read code and lots of bugs (as it relates to business logic code).

Loose typing is great/better for writing frameworks where you might not know
(or care) what value is being passed through the bowels, but I feel much
more comfortable with a compiled object when it comes to my business logic.
Maybe just a personal insecurity :-)

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
http://mowyourlawn.com/blog/


On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 3:43 PM, Kelly Cookson <KCookson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> > The main issue I have with PHP is really it's a scripting language.
> > Not that scripting languages are bad, but I just like my end
> > programs compiled. (Quick >Google search does show you can compile
> > PHP, I was unaware of that).
>
> A nice feature of running PHP as an interpreted language is the flexibility
> in variable typing. Variable type in PHP depends on context. You don't get
> that when you compile a program. Compiled programs require that you define
> variable types in advance and they can't change.
>
> I would _love_ to see a PHP-to-ILE compiler on the IBM i. That way, we
> could use PHP as a scripting language for web apps and as a compiled
> language for batch apps. We could also mix PHP with RPG, COBOL, C, and CL as
> ILE modules. We could do something like Facebook is doing with PHP and C++
> (except we'd be doing it with PHP and ILE).
>
> Kelly Cookson
> Senior Programmer/Analyst
> Dot Foods, Inc.
> 217-773-4486 x12676
> www.dotfoods.com