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what's better in php5

There are a lot of dicussions about the jump from php4 to php5. For me php5 is the first version where you could actually call php4 a serious programming-language. The most important change is the object-oriented programming. Although you could write oop-code with php4.3, it lacked some very important features (like warning on use of undefined object-members). Another great change is pass by reference, which was sometimes tricky in php4.

Why people stay with php4

From php4 to 5 some points changed dramatically. Although most scripts will run without problems (All of mine did), there might be necessary changes in some. I do not know, why php5 did not add some way of backwards compatibility, or a least a way of using both versions at the same time, though.

Times will change

I really believe that sooner or later all major php-tools will be php5-compatible. Most of the very important (s.m.a.r.t.y, phpMyAdmin, xoops, phpBB, etc.) already are.

Since streber is still in development, and probable will be for the next few months, reallying on php5 makes sense.


Where to get php5

Installing php5 with mysql is straight forward.

Although, most internet service providers have php5-servers ready, they are afraid using them as default-solution because their clients are afraid of upgrading. If you ask for a server with php5 installed you will probably get one.

In Germany pixtur can recommend:
  • www.all-inkl.com ("Web Private L", MySQL, PHP5, 1GB Space, 50Gb Traffic for 4,95€ per month)

4 Comments

guest

Mar 2, 2007
all-inkl can't handle PHP5
I've an all-inkl PHP5 account since half a year now, and I'm not satisfied anymore:
  • Upgrades without announcing
  • The last upgrade broke my Mediawiki for more then a day
  • When I complained and wanted to chancel my contract there was no understanding

pixtur

Mar 2, 2007
Antwort auf all-inkl can't handle PHP5
Well, I too had my problems, especially after a harddisc crash on which I lost most of my databases. But still they are always friendly, available on the phone and competent. I never wrote a question or request, that took more than a day to answere (and I wrote a lot :) ) So after all they are still the only provider I can recomment. I changed the wiki text above respectively.



guest

May 28, 2007
PHP5 was NOT the better choice
Greetings,
 PHP has /always/ been a powerful programming
language. /NO/ PHP5 is /not/ the most OO oriented
version of PHP. In fact PHP5 is /actually/ Java/script
in disguise. Fact is, shortly after the starting of
version 4. Sun Microsystems provided /substantial/
financial support to PHP (php.net) development. As
such, /greatly/ influenced it's (PHP's) direction in
development. Anyone whom has done a fair amount of Java
programming /immediately/ recognizes the almost
identical function names and usage. There was a /great/
deal of controversy (and anger) when this was first
recognized. But hey; money talks and BS walks. So Sun
wins and the users loose. Don't believe me? Have a look
at the Web2 specs. Hell, Sun is even offering (selling)
a Web2 platform. Bottom line PHP4; most notably >=4.4
has offered all the OO concepts found in PHP5
/without/ requiring you to program with Java functions
and name space(s). It is, in fact more powerful than
PHP5 and has/requires alot less overhead for the Server
and the Client side - really.

Anyway,
 As I like your project, I was hoping to discover a
version that does /not/ require PHP5. If not, I guess
I'll simply grab your latest version and fix it so
that it runs on PHP(4). Maybe even make a SF/FM project
out of it. :)

pixtur

May 29, 2007
version 2
Antwort auf PHP5 was NOT the better choice
Well, I am not really sure about this. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Some things I am pretty sure with are:
  1. I like php5 way better than php4 (assignment by copy was really a bad idea in php4).
  2. I am quiet frustrated with the overall performance of php as a programming language. I do not speak about execution speed, but implementation, code maintenance and readability. I dropped an eye on ruby lately and really got envy. The harsh changes from version to version (e.g. adding new warnings with date versions, etc.) do not improve my impression of php. The major problem is, that it takes a tremendous amount of skill and discipline to write good php code. You can do it. But — I strongly believe — most programmers don't.
About streber with php4. I really doubt this will be possible, but feel free to give it a try. It would be a really experiment.

 
 

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