Re: HTML/OS ?

Jason > > Does anybody here no anything about Aestiva HTML/OS I have just completed an evaluation of the two platforms. As I see it, the main selling points of HTML/OS are the short learning curve, integrated database and 100% cross platform development. But this comes at a cost: - The purchase price, of course, while PHP is free - The simplicity is gained by building in features like session management. Fine if they deliver exactly what you want, but impossible to change if they don't. With PHP you have much more control, at the expense of a somewhat steeper learning curve. - They make great claims for the integrated database, with no need to open and manage connections. But building a database is a major undertaking and I was nervous about trusting their code. A couple of developers told me that they had problems with lockups which Aestiva hadn't managed to track down. With PHP, you can use open source databases where bugs are nailed quickly, or you can change databases if you hit a major problem. - Aestiva's documentation is dreadful, and there is very little community support, while with PHP the documentation is good, there are an increasing number of useful books and websites, and community support is outstanding, as you can see from this list. - For the larger project, Aestiva offers no support for OOP and only very basic functions. PHP is well ahead here. To summarise, if your project is small and you are intimidated by installing and learning PHP then Aestiva is worth considering. But if you are prepared to invest a few days in learning PHP, you will be rewarded with a much more flexible and standards based solution. Geoff Caplan geoff@britishgoldsmiths.com