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sustainability of php
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:21 am
by devendra-m
How long will php sustain in the market. I have decided to continue to programming in php for all the time. Is it wise to rely completely in php or should I also have proficiency in other languages.
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:38 am
by Inkyskin
I can't see PHP dissapearing anywhere anytime soon. Or not soon for that fact. It's extremely widely used, and always being worked on.
This is where I see one of the advantages of open source programming - even if PHP as an entity died, some group of people somewhere would rebuild and revive the language!
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:46 am
by Kieran Huggins
Learning other languages, if nothing else, will simply make you a better programmer. I'd recommend giving Ruby a shot, it's sexy. So is JavaScript, for that matter.
The more you know (and the wiser you get) the better!
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:31 am
by superdezign
Yeah, I wouldn't limit yourself to PHP. PHP is very quirky (though, so is JavaScript) and loose in comparison to other languages. This makes PHP very easy to program in, but if you only know PHP, it'll be difficult for you to work in a more strict language.
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:10 pm
by Ambush Commander
Almost any nontrivial project will have you working with other languages. Learn how to learn other languages quickly! (Hint: Learning lower-level languages helps a lot!)
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:02 am
by RobertGonzalez
If you only spoke your native language would that be better or worse than knowing three other spoken languages?
I would recommend you learn as much as you can. Not because PHP is taking a dive (in fact it is still one of the fastest growing development languages in the world) but because it is always in your best interest to know as much as you can (add points for knowing what to do with what you know

).
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:15 am
by Benjamin
I don't think PHP is going anywhere but up. Nothing wrong with diversification though.. just ask your stockbroker.
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:35 am
by jimthunderbird
For me, I would learn as many language as possible to know the philosophy behind it. Then I would focus on one and polish it with all the philosophies I learned.
I've been programming from Qbasic, C, C++, Java, C#, Fortran, Perl, Ruby on Rails, Python before and at my job I used mostly PHP. I also fall in love with Actionscript 3.0 and Javascript. Each language has their pros and cons, but I think language is just a tool, the idea behind the language is more important.
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:30 am
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
PHP is sustainable. The only problem for PHP programmers is that their work is often undervalued because the market is flooded with hundreds of less-then-professional developers which gives sometimes the impression that PHP doesn't require in-depth experience, knowledge or expertise to develop in. That's true only to a point.
Java and Ruby on the other hand gave a better perception even though they require IMHO not much more ability than a good PHP programmer will have.
I would certainly learn another few languages. Pick one per year and bury yourself in it. I'm just coming down from a Ruby immersion which was surprisingly really good. I'm currently playing with merb (not Rails). I still focus 90% of the time on PHP - learning Ruby just gives a new perspective to work from, as well as a new language for the CV

.
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:42 am
by Kieran Huggins
merb FTW!
Re: sustainability of php
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:33 pm
by jimthunderbird
Today is my offical day to play around merb.