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Zend to Show PHP Tools In October
Darren Rayes writes "Zend plans to release the first version of Zend Framework on Oct. 29 during the next PHP conference. The Zend Framework provides a standard as it facilitates rapid development to write applications that run on Web servers, and includes PHP software modules for tasks such as database access or Web services communications. The framework provides a clean separation of logic and presentation, along with easy maintenance and extensibility through a well-organized application structure."
I always thought it was Hypertext Preprocessor.
So I failed CS101. Yes, from wiki, PHP: Hypertext PreProcessor. All hail the parent.
Wish they said more about the tools themselves. Lack of standard tools is one of the biggest problems facing the language. Sure they exist, but the dichotomy between shared host PHP configurations and a 'professional' PHP installation compiled with appropriate modules (getting stack traces is like pulling teeth for crying out loud) is enough to make any serious developer look to the alternatives. ASP.NET, JSP, Ruby on Rails, even ColdFusion have better tools by default. Even using PHP 5 would be a huge improvement, but I'm very hesitant to write PHP 5 code for anything that may have to be reused on another server.
Once PHP loses its ubiquity crown, it doesn't have much advantage left.
After spending too much time trying out various PHP frameworks, which would eventually die or have a small amount of users, after spending too much time with Smarty, after working out an XML/XSL templating system of my own, I'm gone from PHP development. Currently, and concurrently, I'm learning ASP.NET and RoR. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so it's very likely I'll choose whatever fits my projects best in particular situations. And you know what? I can't believe how stupid I was to use PHP for all those years. It's almost as if I've jumped directly from stone age to the present day.