RE: [PHP3] Help craft PHP description

Yes, PHP is a powerful HTML embedded scripting language whose syntax draws from Java, Perl, and C. However, an accurate description of PHP must reflect and emphasize its role as a powerful WEB APPLICATION SERVER in addition to a dynamic scripting language. Although Perl-like in syntax, what makes PHP different from Perl is the manner in which the "PHP engine" natively acts as MIDDLEWARE between front-end applications and back-end databases, mail systems, and Internet protocols. Yes it is similar to Perl in programming syntax, but more importantly, it is similar to Cold Fusion Server in functionality!!! In light of this, an accurate description of PHP should advertise to the world that: "PHP is the leading cross-platform application server for delivering dynamic and scalable web-based solutions." The sentence above should nicely compliment what some of what you have written. Here's my vote: ---------------------------- PHP is an HTML-embedded, open-source scripting language that was created for the purpose of Web development. More than just a scripting language, PHP is the leading cross-platform application server for delivering dynamic and scalable web-based solutions. It has a flexible programming syntax that draws elements from C, Java, and Perl. PHP runs on many different platforms, and can be used as a standalone executable or as a module under many web servers. It has excellent support for databases, various Internet protocols, and complex data manipulation. PHP can be extended through its powerful API to develop additional functionality. ----------------------------- I think this efficiently covers most of the bases without sounding too biased, subjective, or convoluted. Cheers! Zack Beatty -----Original Message----- From: Andrei Zmievski [mailto:andrei@ispi.net] Sent: Friday, May 12, 2000 12:14 PM To: PHP 4 Beta; PHP Users Subject: [PHP3] Help craft PHP description Hello, The PHP 4 release is imminent and with that, we'd like to update the description that PHP is listed under on various websites. We feel that the current description does not do PHP justice. Here is the old description: PHP Version 3.0 is an HTML-embedded scripting language. Much of its syntax is borrowed from C, Java and Perl with a couple of unique PHP-specific features thrown in. The goal of the language is to allow web developers to write dynamically generated pages quickly. Since we all know that PHP can be used for much more than writing dynamically generated pages and in more ways than just embedding it into HTML, a new description is necessary. We've come up with a proposed description, but we'd like to know if it can be made better or, perhaps, totally rewritten. Here is the proposed description: PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for the Web development and can be embedded into HTML. Its syntax is similar to C, Java, and Perl. PHP runs on many different platforms and can be used as a standalone executable as well as under many web servers. It has excellent support for databases, various Internet protocols, and general data manipulation. PHP can be extended through its powerful API to include additional functionality. Originally, we wanted to have a contest for the best entry, but the best description may end up being an amalgam of other ones. So, let's start the discussion because we don't have much time. I've posted this to both php3 and php4beta lists - please check each other's archives to avoid duplication of effort. In a few days, we'll go through all the entries and either pick the best one or use the better ones to create the final description. Thanks, -Andrei * If it ain't broken, it doesn't have enough features yet. * -- PHP 3 Mailing List <http://www.php.net/> To unsubscribe, send an empty message to php3-unsubscribe@lists.php.net To subscribe to the digest, e-mail: php3-digest-subscribe@lists.php.net To search the mailing list archive, go to: http://www.php.net/mailsearch.php3 To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net