Can you code a website with all the same functionality using whatever language?(php, python, asp.net,etc)

Question

Just was wondering if all the web development languages such as PHP, python, asp.net had pretty much the same functions. And choosing which language to use is just a matter of preference

Answer 1

Sure. Not sure what you are really asking since you seem to answer your question in the question.

You can build the same website in PHP, Python, ASP, ROR, Java. You'll just build it differently using different syntax.

Answer 2

Well, with Python you can do anything. PHP and asp.net I'm less sure of, since those force a particular templating system upon you as well as a language...

ASP.NET (like ASP before it) is actually just the template system, allowing you to use more-or-less whatever .NET language you like, either mixed in with your templates or in a separate "code-behind" file.

PHP (as generally used) is almost the same, except that you have just one language to choose from: in the distant past, this was Perl; now it is also called PHP.

Answer 3

Pretty much.

There are differences in the platforms but whatever you can accomplish in one, you can do in another.

Answer 4

There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Depending on your language some things are easy, some things can be very hard; but yeah you can do most anything in one of these languages that you can do in any of the others.

The question is how hard is it to do it the wrong way in your language of choice?

What language to learn may be a matter of preference, but you should use the language that you are most expressive in. That translates directly to the amount of your experience in that language.

Answer 5

play with different language and then choose the one you like.

Answer 6

Yes. Functionality is determined primarily by the possibilities of HTTP, HTML, Javascript, etc. -- because the user is using a browser and a protocol that you don't control, that's the biggest gateway on functionality. So yes, for the languages you mention, the functionality is the same; some frameworks may make certain functionality easier or harder to achieve, but anything HTTP and the browser will do should be possible.

Note that this doesn't include plugin approaches such as Flash or Silverlight, which aren't limited by the browser's functionality.

However, there are a whole set of non-functional requirements that come into play:

• performance
• scalability
• rapidity of development
• ease of maintenance
• security
• familiarity of your existing development team

The different approaches will vary on these measures. Some of these will be more or less important based on your specific needs, and that should be a guide to language choice.

Answer 7

Joel answered this in 2006. Here's some quotes.

1. People all over the world are constantly building web applications using ASP.NET, using Java, and using PHP all the time. None of them are failing because of the choice of technology.
2. All of these environments are large and complex and you really need at least one architect with serious experience developing for the one you choose, because otherwise you'll do things wrong and wind up with messy code that needs to be restructured.

How do you decide between C#, Java, PHP, and Python? The only real difference is which one you know better. If you have a serious Java guru on your team who has build several large systems successfully with Java, you're going to be a hell of a lot more successful with Java than with C#, not because Java is a better language (it's not, but the differences are too minor to matter) but because he knows it better. Etc.

So, IMHO it's not subjective, it's objective: but it does depend on who will be doing the coding.