ASP or PHP? Which is easier and more in demand?

Question

I want to learn Database Programming on Server Side as well as on Client Side to get the Query from the User and to Fetch the Records from the Database stored on a Server.

I am learning JavaScript. Which one should I learn - ASP or PHP?

And what will be the scope after I have learnt them?

I invite your kind guidance and support.

Thank you!

Good luck to you all! :)

Answer 1

ASP is easier but PHP is more in Demand these days because of its Open Source Development.

I like both asp & php because I'm in web development from last 7-8 years, have knowledge of both languages and have done no. of projects using asp & php.

Both ASP and PHP are languages used to build Dynamic Web sites that can interact with Databases and exchange information. ASP (Active Server Pages) is from Microsoft and is used with IIS (Internet Information Server) that runs on Microsoft Servers. PHP (Personal Home Pages) is from Rasmus Lerdorf, who originally designed this parsing language which was later modified by different people. It runs on Unix and Linux servers and it also has an NT server version.

Speed
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If we compare the speed of ASP and PHP then PHP has an upper hand. PHP code runs faster than ASP. ASP is built on COM based architecture, which is an overhead for the server whereas PHP code runs in its own memory space.

Database Connectivity
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PHP, being extremely flexible, can connect to various databases, the most popular being MySQL. ASP mainly uses MS-SQL.

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Answer 2

As some of the others have said, there's you're better off learning both so that you can be more flexible. They both can do what you need.

The easiest way to answer the demand question is to do a search at any job search website to see which gets more hits. IMO, PHP is for the Internet junkies, but corporate America typically uses ASP (or even as common, Java or .NET). Then again, I'm in the stuffy NorthEast US...so Cali and other areas may be a little more forward thinking using open source. From my experience, Java, ASP, or .NET (ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#, etc.) are much more in demand than PHP.

And to counter another response, you can connect ASP to any DB as easily as PHP. Your response seemed to indicate only PHP was flexible enough for all DB's but ASP can do it just fine. It works best with SQL Server because they are both Microsoft, but it can connect to any DB.

Answer 3

Each of these tools have their own advantages and disadvantages. Now there is no point in sticking in ASP as Microsoft has release .NET Framework.

After ASP 3.0 there was no ASP 4.0 but ASP.NET. If you learn ASP.NET I think It will give you a better edge on the Server-Side Technology.

PHP is simple to learn if you have some proper programming background. As It is Open Source you can download the source code if you want to contribute to the PHP community (But i think that comes later).

If you want to learn PHP I would suggest the following thing

1. Download manual - PHP

Answer 4

Learn both. Start with PHP because it's easier to learn.

Answer 5

lean php. it pwns.