Most effective server side programming language for web development?

Question

This is more a question of pros/cons between PHP and JAVA. Iv been doing research, and iv narrowed it down to those two.

And in consideration, id like to go into mobile app dev...So thats +1 for Java.

Time taken to learn the language is not an issue...Just would like to know which is the most effective between the two languages mentioned above.

And on a slight note. Can Javascript work with Java? And what is the real advantage of that?

All answers are appreciated, thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but PHP and Java are not the only choices. Ruby on Rails and Python's Django framework are both excellent tools for web development. While I haven't used it, Groovy's Grails framework is also very highly reviewed (largely by ex Java programmers). In certain (admittedly obscure) circumstances it's even advisable to do something off the wall like write a CGI program in C. It all depends on what you're trying to do.

Mobile app dev shouldn't influence your choice here, because no matter what web framework you're working with a mobile app is a whole new ball of wax.

So, here's the deal: asking people to compare PHP and Java really won't get you any meaningful answers -- you don't have the background necessary to understand what we'll say. You really need to figure out what you're trying to do before you choose your tool. It's like saying "I'm thinking about building a house, should I use a screwdriver or a hammer?" Here is what I would advise:

1. Go learn to program. Pretty much any language will do, but I'd suggest something nice like Python or Ruby. Spend a few months getting comfortable with programming first.
2. Pick a project. Make it something simple. When you know what your project is, pick a tool to use to complete your project. This may involve asking another SO question.
3. Rinse and repeat. Complete many projects. Once you've finished 5 or 10 web projects you'll be in a position to compare different tools. The more tools you use, the better. I'd suggest you do one in Ruby on Rails, one in PHP, one in Django (a python framework), and maybe even one in Java with JSP.

Once you've got that base of experience come back and ask this question again. You'll actually be equipped to understand the answers. Of course, once you've got that experience you won't need to ask the question because you'll already know the answer.