Slashdot Mirror

We use WinCvs and Chora to version control both source code and documentation. In fact, it is because we were using Chora as a web interface to our documentation that I uncovered a bug a month or two ago affecting the handling of filenames with spaces (like Marketing Proposal 1.doc) that we often see in documents created by non-programmers. I fixed the bug myself and contributed the fix back into the Chora project, so you shouldn't see this problem in the latest version of Chora). I've packaged recent versions of Chora into zip files - available for download here. (Use Ctrl-F to search for Chora on the page)

I have to admit, though, that while the non-technical people at our company have managed to learn how to use CVS, it was not without a lot of struggle on their part. Maybe SourceSafe or Perforce would have been a better choice. Even so, what we have now works and people have become familiar with it, so I don't think we'll change.

unfortunately, there don't seem to be many comparing perl with visual basic. However, there are many comparing perl to other things. Maybe you can figure out what you think based on how simmilar you think visual basic is to java, tcl, or one of the others featured...

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:wwwipd.ira.uk a.de/~prechelt/Biblio/jccpprtTR.pdf+comparison+per l+java+c&hl=en

http://ncstrl.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de:8080/Dienst/UI /2.0/Describe/ncstrl.ubka_cs%2Firatr-2000-5 note: slashdot preview function revealed that the port 8080 in my post is being stripped out of the HREF by slash. So, the URL is as you see in text. The link will take you to that URL without the :8080. Just add the :8080 and you're back in business.

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/ wa-sssl.html

http://www.pixeldate.com/dev/comparison/index.shtm l (see the refs section at end of article)

-matt

1. PHP generally handles errors better - with PHP I see informative error messages instead of "Internal Server Error" in my edit-debug-run cycles. Of course, you can use CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' in Perl to get better error handling, but even with that turned on, I still see "Internal Server Error" more often with Perl than with PHP (maybe I'm not using CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' correctly? The Perl programs I work with call subroutines spread out over many files - does CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' need to be in each file?)
2. PHP has a standard mechanism for HTML embedding - with Perl, you need to choose between Mason, Embperl, and Active Perl with ASP. (Also, do any books cover Mason or Embperl?)
3. There are some very quality open-source PHP programs available. Some leading examples: Drupal, a Slashdot-like news system, phpShop, an e-commerce system, and Chora, the nicest web interface to CVS I've seen (BTW I've prepared a zip file of Chora so that people can have an easier way to download it than by using cvs checkout. Use Ctrl+F to search for Chora here)
4. cleaner syntax for classes and functions
   

1. Web hosting for PHP and Perl tends to be cheaper than for JSP/servlets. PHP: $8.95 per month with WestHost.com, $7.50 per month with JTLNet.net, free with DataBlocks.net (but with domain name restrictions). JSP: $24.99 with MMAWEB. Contact me if you know of a cheaper JSP/servlet hosting provider.
2. The first time you execute a JSP, you have to wait for the underlying servlet to be compiled. This slows down edit-run-debug cycles, though it shouldn't have much of an effect on the operational performance since recompilation is not needed in subsequent executions.
3. The lack of string interpolation in Java leads to awkward construction of strings with embedded variables. Compare:
   
   PHP:
   $adjective1 = 'quick';
   $animal1 = 'fox';
   $adjective2 = 'lazy';
   $animal2 = 'dog';
   print "The $adjective1 brown $animal1 jumps over the $adjective2 $animal2";
   
   JSP:
   String adjective1 = "quick";
   String animal1 = "fox";
   String adjective2 = "lazy";
   String animal2 = "dog";
   String output = "The " + adjective1 + " brown " + animal1 + " jumps over the " + adjective2 + " " + animal2;
   angle-bracket percent equals output percent angle-bracket

1. PHP generally handles errors better - with PHP I see informative error messages instead of "Internal Server Error" in my edit-debug-run cycles. Of course, you can use CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' in Perl to get better error handling, but even with that turned on, I still see "Internal Server Error" more often with Perl than with PHP (maybe I'm not using CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' correctly? The Perl programs I work with call subroutines spread out over many files - does CGI::Carp 'fatalsToBrowser' need to be in each file?)
2. PHP has a standard mechanism for HTML embedding - with Perl, you need to choose between Mason, Embperl, and Active Perl with ASP. (Also, do any books cover Mason or Embperl?)
3. There are some very quality open-source PHP programs available. Some leading examples: Drupal, a Slashdot-like news system, phpShop, an e-commerce system, and Chora, the nicest web interface to CVS I've seen (BTW I've prepared a zip file of Chora so that people can have an easier way to download it than by using cvs checkout. Use Ctrl+F to search for Chora here)
4. cleaner syntax for classes and functions
   

1. Web hosting for PHP and Perl tends to be cheaper than for JSP/servlets. PHP: $8.95 per month with WestHost.com, $7.50 per month with JTLNet.net, free with DataBlocks.net (but with domain name restrictions). JSP: $24.99 with MMAWEB. Contact me if you know of a cheaper JSP/servlet hosting provider.
2. The first time you execute a JSP, you have to wait for the underlying servlet to be compiled. This slows down edit-run-debug cycles, though it shouldn't have much of an effect on the operational performance since recompilation is not needed in subsequent executions.
3. The lack of string interpolation in Java leads to awkward construction of strings with embedded variables. Compare:
   
   PHP:
   $adjective1 = 'quick';
   $animal1 = 'fox';
   $adjective2 = 'lazy';
   $animal2 = 'dog';
   print "The $adjective1 brown $animal1 jumps over the $adjective2 $animal2";
   
   JSP:
   String adjective1 = "quick";
   String animal1 = "fox";
   String adjective2 = "lazy";
   String animal2 = "dog";
   String output = "The " + adjective1 + " brown " + animal1 + " jumps over the " + adjective2 + " " + animal2;
   angle-bracket percent equals output percent angle-bracket

Here's a better download URL (use Ctrl+F to search for Chora on the page). The URL I previously posted will quickly become outdated.

Chora provides an aesthetically pleasing PHP-based web interface for CVS. Here's a zip file for download.