Programming languages come in all shapes, sizes and levels of complexity. If you are a front-end Web designer your exposure to programming might be limited to using prebuilt JavaScript code, perhaps generated by Dreamweaver or downloaded as part of a jQuery (JavaScript library) plugin.
XHTML, CSS and JavaScript are all referred to as client-side code because the markup can be accessed by simply using View > Source from the Web browser. What if you want to create dynamic Web page content from a database using a server-side scripting language which is hidden from the visitor downloading a page from your website? What are your choices?
Server-Side Language Options
Here are a few of the most commonly used server-side programming options:
- ASP
- ColdFusion
- Java
- Perl
- PHP
- Python
- Ruby
If you were new to programming and had to choose just one server-side language to focus on, which would you select?
CSS-Tricks
A popular design website, CSS-Tricks » a Web Design Community created a poll and asked readers the following question:
"What is your server-side language of choice?"
Readers were asked to choose the language that they actually like the most, even if they were familiar with several languages.
Survey Says . . .
More than 11,000 readers completed the survey since it was posted more than a month ago and the choice is abundantly clear. Here are the results:
- PHP | 75%
- ASP | 8%
- Java | 5%
- Ruby | 4%
- Python | 3%
- ColdFusion | 2%
- Perl | 1%
- Other | 2%
More than 200 readers posted comments. You can review this discussion and post your own comments at New Poll: Server Side Languages.
These results confirm the following Elance Work Index finding:
"PHP is the number 1 most in-demand skill for online work for all of 2009."
Training Options
Here are four FREE tutorial websites that Web designers and developers can access to learn how to add PHP scripting to your skill set:
- Smashing Magazine | PHP: What you Need to Know To Play With The Web
- W3Schools | PHP Tutorial
- Webmonkey | PHP Tutorial for Beginners
- KillerPHP.com | PHP Tutorails for Web Designers
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