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Chapter 2 - HTML vs. PHP

Good ol' HTML allows you to fully control what is placed on your website, but you'll have to learn how to write and use the HTML language.

What is PHP?

PHP is a scripting language (like Java or HTML or BASIC or PERL). Then using the PHP language, software developers were able to create an open source PHP management system software. Basically, it's a software written in PHP that allows multiple users to access and edit a webpage design directly on the Internet. (PHP definition on Wikipedia)

You no longer need a WYSIWYG Editor. All your fellow webmasters can design and edit the website DIRECTLY from the Internet. And when you click on the "submit" or "update" button, the online PHP software starts editing the SQL database and your website is automatically updated.

In sum, you're website design is literally ON the INTERNET at all times. The core of your website NO LONGER resides on your computer hard drive. The CORE of your website is ON the Internet.

So yes, you've guessed it, if you are NOT online, you cannot edit your webpage. You will have to wait to go online to edit. Just like online blogging.

What's the pros and cons?

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Pros and Cons??

Some of you might be thinking whether to build HTML from scratch or to load a PHP website module software onto your domain for ease of editing. That's a dilemna for many webmasters nowadays.

Good ol' HTML allows you to fully control what is placed on your website, but you have to learn the HTML language.

Another down-side to HTML is it doesn't allow for muliple users to share the HTML webpage easily. Generally the HTML is on one person's computer and if someone else is to edit, they'll have to somehow get a copy of the same file.

This problem is much like editing a Microsoft Word document. There's only one copy of the Word document. If you try to allocate the work around, it gets messy as to who has the most recent copy.

The positive side to this, is for those who work alone. You have absolute control of your website. If you choose to move servers, you simply upload all the HTML files to the new server. There's no fear of losing all your HTML files to the web-hosting server crashing. Plus you'll have the ability of working on the HTML files directly from your own computer without having to be logged onto the Internet.

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The beauty of PHP website module software is the ability to share the work around the Internet. For those who need multiple webmasters to run and maintain the website, the PHP module might be the easiest way to go.

However should you need to move hosting servers, just keep in mind that many have lost all their work and had to start over again. But for those really PHP savvy users, this isn't a problem.

Another aspect of using PHP is that you must be logged onto the Internet the entire time you are editing the page. This is great for those who travel and need instant access to their website wherever they are. But should you get disconnected from the Internet in the middle of updating your website ... well you can imagine the frustration you might feel.

Therefore which should you choose? It all depends how you plan to use your website. I use half and half for Gemele.com. I noticed the problem with PHP when I had a bad domain host. But now that Gemele.com is on a stable server, PHP has been working great for me. Of course, the fear of losing all my work again will always be in the back of my mind. So Gemele.com is about 25% PHP and 75% HTML.

Meanwhile Designcove.com is 100% HTML.

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Some Open-Source PHP website managements are:

Greymatter - currrently use at Gemele.com
Xoop - used at Gemele.com
PHPwebsite
PHPNuke - heard about this everywhere!

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As beautiful as PHP website managements are, they require that you own your own domain and have your own PHP configurations and SQL databases. Therefore this brings us back again to hosting.

Next Chapter -> Chapter 3 "Hosting?"

Lasted Updated: April 24, 2007