[guyfromri]

JAVA?
PHP?
ASP NET?
OR?

Personally I prefer a combination of PHP and ASP. You?

[athlon32]

There is no 'perfect' language. Each has its own specialties, so it's good to know several dialects

To make a website, you'll probably need:
HTML - The hypertext markup language is the standard way of presenting data in a web browser. All website use HTML
CSS - Cascading Style-Sheets, isn't much of a language, but more as a subset of HTML that can be used to style your websites.
Javascript - simple client-side scripting language. It's used to add effects to your page, but it has some limitations
PHP - a server-side programming language, it is can be used to work with databases, and work with files on the server (things Javascript can't do). PHP is very similar to the C programming language.

The languages you'll use depend mainly on the type of content. If you're making a simple game, you might use Javascript or Flash, but a MMORPG would need Java or ASP.NET

Hope I helped

[5thWall]

Technically, the only language you can use to build a website is HTML. All the other languages just generate the HTML that builds the website. Well, you could make an argument for Javascript being able to build a webpage (It's not manipulating HTML, it's managing the DOM directly.) but personally I think it's kind of weak.

But to actually answer your question: the best language to build a website with is the one the job requires and/or you're most comfortable with. Some languages make certain things easier than others, sometimes the server you're running the page on is limited to one or two languages. Just use what works.

Also, I have never heard of a combination of ASP and PHP on a single site. Though I don't see why it shouldn't be possible with some work. It is something I must research further.

[no2pencil]

The answer to this question depends on what you want the website to do.

For example, if it's display only, & no interaction (with a database or loginsystem) then any server side language would be over kill. So HTML would be best. Javascript provides dynamic abilities in the website, but you would never write an entire site solely in Javascript.

As for Java, PHP, or ASP.NET, that would depend on you. Java is going to require TomCat, or some other Java Service, & your ability & understanding of the Java Language. It isn't very common that you find sites written with Java anymore. PHP or ASP.Net, well, ASP.NET is going to require that you are hosting your site on a Windows Server. PHP is a free alternative (& OS independent), but the languages are no where near similar in syntax or method.

Sounds like you have a bit more research to do, this isn't going to be as easy as "what's best? Ok, I'll go with that". You have to weed out the intricacies of your specific goals for this project.

[dsherohman]

5thWall, on 8 Nov, 2009 - 03:03 AM, said:

Technically, the only language you can use to build a website is HTML. All the other languages just generate the HTML that builds the website. Well, you could make an argument for Javascript being able to build a webpage (It's not manipulating HTML, it's managing the DOM directly.) but personally I think it's kind of weak.

Aww, man... You stole my answer!

no2pencil, on 8 Nov, 2009 - 03:16 AM, said:

PHP or ASP.Net, well, ASP.NET is going to require that you are hosting your site on a Windows Server.

Not entirely true. I don't do ASP myself, so I don't know how complete it is, but Apache::ASP is capable of handling at least some subset of ASP on non-Windows hosts.


Now, to actually say something relevant to the OP's question...

You can write web-based applications in any language capable of outputting plain text (web-COBOL!), so it mostly comes down to what you personally can produce results in the fastest, which is determined by the combination of your skills and the available tools (web development frameworks, database interfaces, etc.) for that language.

If you're just getting started out and will have to learn a new language, then PHP is probably what will get you up and running the fastest, since it was designed specifically for building web stuff and there are probably more "How to do X on the web" tutorials available for PHP than for any other language.

Personally, though, I tend to prefer Perl. Not the crufty old early-90s Perl that looks like line noise and still pollutes far too many of the Perl tutorials that are out there, though. No. Modern, well-engineered Perl that actually uses modules, OOP (maybe Moose-based, maybe not, depending on how it will be deployed), a proper webapp framework, etc.

[sam_benne]

PHP as dsherohman said would be good as there are a lot of tutorials out there. But PHP would be easier to learn I think because a lot of the hard work is done for you as a lot is done with PHP functions. With ASP or ASP.NET you have to do more yourself.

Plus because PHP is free and it can be used on a linux server the cost of hosting is generally cheaper.

[mozzie]

So far you have a big list of languages and technologies to get the job done.

It all depends on the website you want to create. Is it static or shows contents dynamically? Does it need a database? Are you going to have user logins or just anonymous visitors?

You can take a look at the Agile Platform, which has a free version you can download. You can use it to build web applications (not just web sites) using visual modeling instead of text coding.

Cheers

This post has been edited by mozzie: 18 November 2009 - 07:16 AM

[rhodry_korb]

You can build your site with HTML/CSS/Javascript & PHP, this could be an option or ASP. Personally PHP.

[jbeme]

Learn to use pearl, C, Java, Html, and some type of advance graphic rendering. Not knowing how to fully use one of these things will limit your site.

[ccubed]

Looking over this thread, I see languages like C and then the all too familiar axiom that "anything that can output text can create a webpage." So, I really have to wonder how we strayed this far off topic. His question was which language is best to make a site in and yet he and the rest of you list things that don't create sites.

You 'create' a site using XHTML or HTML. These technologies being mentioned, ASP.NET, Ruby on Rails, TomCat. While it is possible to create sites using them, you're still using HTML. ASP.NET Doesn't take out the HTML, it allows you to natively inject .NET code of any language into your website. TomCat doesn't take out HTML, Ruby on Rails, etc.

I'm sure we all remember those annoying flash websites? Well, there's a reason that everyone went back to HTML. So the answer to his question is XHTML or HTML with CSS. It is not C, Perl, PHP, Java, Javascript, etc.

I will now bestow upon you my own axiom.

"Because I can doesn't mean I should."

This post has been edited by ccubed: 19 November 2009 - 10:45 AM

[HodgesHTI]

There is no correct answer for the wholeshot of people. Each persons/companies needs can vary quite a bit. Personally I like PHP as it is free, has full SSI, CSI, and database functionallity. I utulize it most often due to the includes functionallity more than any other reason. Plus, not limited Microsofts crappy standards and limitations.

[AfterBurner66]

I agree to all aforementioned opinions, but I think the better way to find an answer-which in no way can be unique, is to put all operands in the equation system and find a way on which you see fit (talking of course from a professional's perspective i.e. to do your job).So, it is true that HTML (or XHTML or XML in many cases nowadays), make the scaffolding or lay the groundwork if you prefer, to build a website.But this has little to do with real web development.Being a web developer for some years now(not so many,but enough in my humble opinion, to give some good general guidance), I think that the days of static pages vs. dynamic are not just past, but literally prehistoric. Nowadays,as we all know, even for the smallest web sites and applications, and thanks to open source software, community and tools( we have to emphasize that ), dynamic pages are generated and templating systems are used for graphic work.Why?Because of the free(as in freedom and as in beer) tools. So, there is no need to make anything from scratch(like the "good old days") and you can develop difficult projects, relatively easy.I personally made many graphics and code from scratch, years before, but there is no need now.
So, what someone could(or would) prefer, is roughly given(just my opinion)like this:
project kind and size / deployment technologies: website, web application, intranet application,enterprise, or some mix and match in between and what platform?
For a simple website with ad purpose or an e-shop, a social site, a portal and all the fuzzy-buzzy web 2.0 apps, I think that PHP really rocks. It's not only the tools, tutorials, resources that you find everywhere in the web, but the inherent power of language (and this I think, has a lot to do with its roots) and its maturity, that makes it perfect for many many cases. This is not to say that you can't do the same things with ASP (rather ASP.NET, 'cause ASP is somewhat aged now), but this depends on the deployment technologies and ASP.NET is a "little" restricted in the server universe. Java, on the other hand is excellent in my opinion, to make not only big enterprise projects but small to medium web projects too.Because there are many open source(or in the worst case with small fees), servlet containers and app servers, I can't really see why Java is not an option now? Microsoft technologies though are excellent and easy to use are more restricted on their deployment (talking about web apps), even from Java.THe downside of Java(if we could say that), is its learning curve.Because is a really OO, strong-typed, very mature language, and it has its own way of thinking. If you like to grasp its way, there is no problem to learn it. If we are talking about an enterprise or generally big application, Java and .NET are the usual fighters.
And of course we can in no way, neglect Perl, which fits in many instances.
Obviously, if you solve this part of the equation system, you see that you must learn as much as you can, to some extent, and in each different project, to go from there. Because it does not matter what we prefer, but what we have to do in our real world projects.There is no bad and good guys, every technology has its own merits, depending on many factors. And because every technology from day to day becomes more competitive to survive or to dominate the game, makes from one day to the next many useful derivative products, choosing arbitrarily or based on some strange factors, really makes no sense. Everything is useful assuming that someone knows where and how to use it, and this is definitely not acquired "the easy way".
If we are talking about small to medium personal projects, PHP is fast and easy, and I really think there's nothing bad about that and there's no catch.
Personally, I use PHP very much for web apps but I use JSP - JSF too. And I"m trying to find some time to study .NET, because my knowledge and experience is very little on this. And as we all are, everyday I'm facing new challenges, new things to grasp and old things to forget.
Finally, as the competition among big companies holds getting stronger, there will come time, to leave our eyes on monitor to go for sleep.

This post has been edited by AfterBurner66: 19 November 2009 - 05:29 PM

[dsherohman]

ccubed, on 19 Nov, 2009 - 05:45 PM, said:

Looking over this thread, I see languages like C and then the all too familiar axiom that "anything that can output text can create a webpage." So, I really have to wonder how we strayed this far off topic.

As the one who brought up that "all too familiar axiom", please note that, before doing so, I also pointed out that I would have said "HTML" if that joke hadn't already been made.

Yes, I just called it a joke answer.

Although it is absolutely correct technically, it is so reductionist as to be useless. In the modern world, anyone talking about building a "site" (as opposed to a "page") can be safely assumed to be talking about a dynamic site rather than a collection of interlinked static HTML documents. Creating a dynamic site requires you to use a programming language (i.e., "C, Perl, PHP, Java, Javascript, etc.") to generate the HTML pages on demand for display.

ccubed, on 19 Nov, 2009 - 05:45 PM, said:

His question was which language is best to make a site in and yet he and the rest of you list things that don't create sites.

We are listing things that create sites. HTML/CSS create pages. Programming languages create sites.

[ccubed]

I don't think of the Dynamic part as the site. That is simply interactivity to me and doesn't really 'create' the site. So I suppose my definition is different in this case. Since I now know what you're really asking, I can give you an answer.

Javascript can do quite a lot now-a-days and it doesn't require plugins for the most part when someone visits your site. It's become quite powerful over the years and I Think that most things can be done with javascript.

PHP is always a safe bet for more dynamic sites such as games or online IDEs or online FTPS, etc. Javascript doesn't begin to touch these things and PHP has been doing it for awhile. So PHP for things that manipulate sources.

To be totally honest, I hate seeing ASP or ASP.NET listed. I do NOT think it's really a language at all, instead, to me, it's a PLATFORM. That is, it allows us to inject .NET code natively into our websites. With PHP, the page can be created using it and the site is dependent on it, but with ASP and ASP.NET, you can run it on ASP and never even use the ability to implement .NET. I have seen some major projects in this language, such as Drupal and Screwturn and to be quite honest, I think the code is god awful. So I don't use this and I believe I would rather kill myself than use it. Still, that's my opinion.

Also, Since it was brought up, I only have one thing to add: C and C++ are NOT dynamic website languages. If you're using them to create dynamic content you don't know what you're doing. These languages are NOT made with this in mind and they DO NOT work well in that environment nor where they ever meant to.

I would go on to say the same about ALL programming languages. I can create sites with Python, I've seen it done, they look nice, but they're unnecessary. Python, Ruby Rails, Java, C, etc. These to me are all fluff languages. They are not MEANT to be web platforms. Just because I can hack together a web platform in the language doesn't mean I should, as we return to my axiom: "Because I can doesn't mean I should."

Seriously, we have a ton of dynamic languages out there. Silverlight, Flash, PHP, Javascript, ColdFusion, etc. Why in all seriousness are we even bothering to make dynamic languages out of languages like C? It's absolutely useless.

[jbeme]

Cause um silverlight, flash, php, etc.; were all built in C. Everytime you use those you are actually using C. Knowing the principles of something is key to understanding it.