Should I build my site using ASP.NET to leverage my C# knowledge or should I learn PHP and use that because of the cost?

views:

225

answers:

+4 Q:

Should I build my site using ASP.NET to leverage my C# knowledge or should I learn PHP and use that because of the cost?

I'm a C# programmer and I love the language. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. Recently I have become real interested in creating a website that offers jobs and allows companies to post jobs for people to navigate through.

This is going to be a nationwide site only, no international connections.

I'm somewhat familiar with ASP.NET (I've used it before for a much smaller pet project) but I wouldn't say I'm more than a

Newb - Journeyman - Novice - Experienced - Expert

I have absolutely zero experience hosting a website or even registering a domain. I'm familiar with HTML and making applications in XAML for WPF has given me a much easier time understand things that laid out in markup.

Is ASP.NET hosting expensive? Is PHP cheaper? I just need a little guidance. :)

Should I use ASP.NET or PHP?

I don't find ASP.NET hosting much more expensive. The hosting company I use even throws a MS SQL Server database (most places charge $10/month for MS SQL Server database) in for free and allows PHP hosting and .NET hosting in the same account.

Check them out. They are pretty good.

Reliable

I would go with what you rather program with. I prefer to use ASP.NET so the little bit of price difference is not worth it for me to switch to PHP.

chobo2 2010-01-22 23:06:57

Yep well I am promoting them anyways might as well get a couple bucks out of it. They are a good hosting company though I been with them since 2008. The only thing I don't like about them is I find their smtp is very slow but they give so many other features it over shadows it by a long shot.

chobo2 2010-01-22 23:11:26

we don't allow affiliate links in posts. They are OK in your user profile.

Jeff Atwood 2010-01-23 00:34:44

@Jeff Where does it say that you can't? If you guys don't allow it why do you guys hide it so well? Would that not be in the faq? This is not common knowledge since every other forum I been onto allows it unless you guys spam it.I don't see why not though. If someone is posting up a link that is relevant to the post they should be allowed. Why give amazon, or whoever the extra money seems to be stupid and possibly make people think twice of recommending something. To me I don't see that it hurts anyone as long as they are not spamming it in unrelated things

chobo2 2010-01-23 03:06:24

PHP is cheaper than ASP.Net, specially if you need multiple boxes (servers).

However I would say go with ASP.Net, you'll have less trouble than trying to pick up on PHP.

Alix Axel 2010-01-22 23:08:01

I'm a PHP programmer and love the language, but with your background, I would absolutely say ASP.NET. PHP hosting tends to be cheaper and more available overall because it's usually Linux based and thus comes with no License fees, but there are good and affordable hosting options for Windows/ASP, too. And who cares if you pay a few dollars more, what you save in man hours will easily be worth it.

Don't forget that PHP usually runs on a LAMP stack, so for anything a bit bigger you will need to gain at least some knowledge of the conventions and quirks of the Linux world, Apache, and maybe MYSQL, too. If you're looking to broaden your horizon, that's certainly a great way to learn new stuff. If you want to get a job done, I'd say stick with what you know.

Pekka 2010-01-22 23:09:30

Does PHP not function well with a MS SQL server? (I'll Google it, but maybe someone would like to read an answer here. :P )

Sergio Tapia 2010-01-22 23:10:59

I would up-vote you but... Could you vote for yourself by me? :P

Alix Axel 2010-01-22 23:11:22

@The Anti-Dentite: PHP works just fine with MSSQL, the problem is most PHP hosting companies offer PHP + MySQL, not MSSQL.

Alix Axel 2010-01-22 23:12:03

@Alix: Thanks :) @Anti-Dentite: PHP works well with MS SQL server and, I've heard, with IIS too since 2003 or 2008 Server. It's just not very usual, so the mainstream of what you'll find in Tutorials, advice, and modules will be focused on the LAMP stack.

Pekka 2010-01-22 23:12:43

You could also get cheaper ASP.Net hosting if your application ran on Mono and some other open source database.... For instance, DiscountASP.Net charges like $20 for asp.net hosting. You can get a VPS at Linode for that same $20 and have a lot more power and features over things(and not be charged for getting a new database)

Earlz 2010-01-23 17:32:45

Just curious, but have you thought about using Mono? It's very nice and capable. The newer versions are much easier to install get running properly than before.

I don't know if you plan on using a virtual host or dedicated host or what but the route I initially took was to go to serveraday.com and get a dedicated server and then install Mono and then install my ASP.NET apps. If you are patient you can get a dedicated server from serveraday.com for $200 to $250 a year if you prepay the full year in advance.

I had little to no problems with compatability. It was actually pretty amazing how well the apps worked when going from developed in Visual Studio to being run by Mono.

Brian Hasden 2010-01-22 23:15:09

I have built a website in Drupal. I'm a C# noob and I would have wanted to build the site from the ground but I am not really familiar with security architecture and stuff. If you want to hone your skills in C# and ASP.NET, I'd say go for it. Registering a domain is basic. Building a website in a hosted environment is a good exercise.

Do not worry much about how much you will spend on this project (Host expenses, domain registration, etc). Just think that this goes to your professional portfolio. You can reference this as a tech work. Plus the experience in developing and building the actual site is priceless.

MarlonRibunal 2010-01-22 23:18:27

According to your experience in programming, I would suggest using .Net. It will be easier to come up with a product that looks nice. All this because ASP.Net already has themes and Visual Studio is very user friendly, if you use Microsoft tools. However, learning PHP will get you more into the roots of HTML, JavaScript, HTTP, etc. It will normally be more work than using .Net, but at the end it make you a better programmer.

tou 2010-01-22 23:26:14

I don't agree at all that learning PHP will make anybody a better programmer; if anything the opposite. It's not well organised and it presents a very low barrier to entry, and it's probably because of this that 8 or 9 of the worst 10 apps I've ever seen were written in PHP.Before anybody gets the wrong impression, I am not saying that good applications cannot be written in PHP. It just doesn't seem to encourage good coding practices as much as some other languages.

Quick Joe Smith 2010-01-22 23:32:11

@Quick Joe Smith: True, and this is why I encourage every newbie to look at other options as well. In this case however, I think it doesn't apply, as he has a solid foundation in programming already, and could produce perfectly good code with PHP as with any other language. Switching to PHP just doesn't make sense from where he's coming from.

Pekka 2010-01-22 23:35:57

I did not meant that learning PHP will make you a better programmer. I meant that working in a lower level abstraction of Web development will -- .Net usually makes you develop web as if it was desktop. It gives you a better understanding of how the Web works. In this way, you will have to know and understand HTML tags, learn javascript to make validation and/or ui effects(or at least a js framework) and also learn a little about HTTP if you want to use AJAX. Knowing about this thinds makes you a better programmer (or developer).

tou 2010-01-22 23:40:18

I take your point about .NET's heavy abstraction, I must also counter that there exists no reason why you have to use them. ASP.NET developers can and do code their web apps with barely any WebControls and integrate jQuery instead of the abominably awful Microsoft AJAX framework. That said, many don't either.

Quick Joe Smith 2010-01-23 09:43:59

One thing to consider beyond just hosting is the ability to find talent to help you work on your site.

This is completely anecdotal. I have no stats to back this up, but it always seems to me that there are more PHP developers out there than ASP.NET. My theory has been because of the lower learning costs of PHP. I recently had three experiences to confirm this:

1) A close friend of mine is a tech recruiter in San Diego. He posted a .NET job mid 2009 and couldn't find a single qualified bite for five months.

2) I consult for an early-stage startup. A year ago, they completely converted from ASP.NET to PHP because they simply couldn't find anyone to hire.

3) It's uncommon to find a .NET job on Craigslist where I am in Austin, however I've been watching a particular one for the later half of 2009. This was for an online retailer. They kept reposting this position every two weeks or so, and the pay was very average for this market. If I recall, they stopped around November/December, and I thought they finally filled the position. At the beginning of this month, they reposted the position, but this time it was for a PHP developer who was familiar with .NET technologies.

Again, take this for what it's worth. This is just my limited observations. People will say low barrier to entry = bad coders. I don't buy that. The worst app I've ever supported was a classic ASP app. Low barriers to entry just increases the size of the talent pool. You'll have more bad coders, but you'll also have more good coders, too.

2010-01-22 23:42:57

ansaurus

tags:

views:

answers:

Should I build my site using ASP.NET to leverage my C# knowledge or should I learn PHP and use that because of the cost?

related questions