Web Articles

September 2005- Reasons for choosing PHP / MySQL Web Hosting
by Rodel Garcia

So you have finally arrived at a stage where you to need to choose a web host to run your PHP & MySQL supported website. This means your website is dynamic, that is, it changes according to the feedback from your visitors or the data your MySQL database contains.

You may need PHP features in your web hosting for the following reasons:

YOU NEED TO PROCESS THE WEB FORM USING php

Although there are numerous CGI scripts available (and many hosts provide these scripts for free), if you can, it is preferable to get your own script written to meet your specific requirements. The cgi scripts available at your web host are very generic in nature. If you have your own PHP script to handle your form, you can generate your own response when a visitor submits your form.

There are great many JavaScripts that can help you validate your forms, but these days many surfers prefer to disable scripts for the fearing on getting infected with worms and viruses. php script on the other hand a server-side script and nobody can stop them from running as long as the browser is loading the web page.

You can also send a customized "thank you" message to whoever submits the form. After sending the "thank you" message and emailing the form details to you, your customized php script can also save the submitted information in a php database.

MANAGE PRODUCT CATALOGS WITH php & MySql DATABASE

You may like to generate your pages dynamically using data in your MySQL database. For example, if you want to maintain a catalog of 150 different wine bags, it would be arduous to maintain the details manually. Instead you can put information like price, shape, color, picture path, etc. in a database and then write a php page that, let us say, shows 10 wine bags at a time. The visitor thinks she's visited 15 pages, but there is only one dynamic page that is sequentially showing the products.

Additionally, if you want your visitors to be able to conduct searches (just red wine bags) you can upload a php script to your web host that shows only the wine bags that satisfy the search criteria.

PUBLISH A BLOG

You may need a PHP/MySQL web host if you are planning to publish a regular blog.

Most blogging software these days, such as MovableType and WordPress use php and MySql to generate dynamic content. In fact, WordPress has been purely written using PHP and MySql so that people well-versed with the php programming language can make their own changes.

MANAGE AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE

Choosing a php / MySql web host is a great way to go if you want to run an e-commerce website. E-commerce websites indisputably need dynamic capabilities such as updatable shopping carts and inventory management systems that can be developed using php and MySql.

As they say, when it comes to imagination and innovation, the sky is the limited. A PHP/MySQL web host empowers you to create as many web-enabled capabilities as you can think of.

ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING A php / MySql WEB HOST

Advantages of opting for php & MySql web hosting are:
1. php websites, since they are run on Linux and Unix, are considered more secure compared to Windows supported languages such as ASP and .NET.
2. Lots of free php source code is available on the Internet. There are hundreds of forums that readily provide you assistance while you learn and develop websites in php.
3. Both php and MySql are free from License fees.
4. php & MySql web hosting is much cheaper than Windows supported hosting
5. Applications written in php are sturdier and easily scalable to various web hosting environments. Notably, php scripts can be run on Windows hosting but ASP and .NET apps do not work on Linux and Unix.

Rodel Garcia is a freelance programmer and web developer. Owner and webmaster of this web hosting website. For details of this article, please go to PHP /MSQL Web Hosting

Note: These articles do not represent the advice or opinions of Apollo Hosting. They represent the thoughts, advice and opinions of the individual authors.