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PHP and MySQL Web Hosting

For web site creators and owners today, the ability to use powerful pre-made scripts such as PHPBB or Joomla is very important. Most of today’s most popular scripts rely on a scripting language known as PHP and a database system known as MYSQL to run on. Without these two features in a hosting plan, a webmaster is extremely limited in the tools he can use to build his site. Therefore, it is imperative in today’s market to find a webhost that is well-equipped to support heavy PHP/MYSQL usage on websites.

PHP is by far the most popular language used on the web today. It is powerful, flexible, and easy to learn. But by itself, PHP is not nearly as useful as it is when paired with MYSQL. MYSQL is a free and powerful SQL-based database system that is excellent for serving applications of any size. These two have become so widespread that the vast majority of web hosting services offer PHP and MYSQL as standard features in their hosting packages. In fact, web hosts that don’t offer PHP/MYSQL or only offer it for an additional fee are unlikely to get much business. For this reason, it is quite easy to find a hosting service that offers the PHP/MYSQL combination.

Before you jump on with a PHP/MYSQL host, make sure you know at least the basic technical details behind their PHP hosting. Not all PHP/MYSQL hosting is created equal so you may not get what you think you are paying for. First, make sure whether the host is offering PHP4 or PHP 5. Although most applications will work on both platforms, there are many differences between PHP4 and PHP5, most notably in their object models. A script written for PHP4 will most likely work on a PHP5 platform but a script written specifically for PHP5 will not work on a PHP4 host. At this point, you should probably look for a PHP5 host as PHP4 is quickly being fazed out and will no longer be supported by its developers after the end of 2007.

Along with making sure which version of PHP you are getting with a host, also make sure which version of MYSQL you are getting with a host. Older versions of MYSQL are not as efficient and do not have a lot of the functionality such as stored procedures that the newest versions of MYSQL has. Likewise, newer versions of MYSQL have many new reserved keywords(most notably “out”), that may break older scripts who have those words as MYSQL field names. Currently it is advisable to look for a host with MYSQL 5 as it is the newest version and features several new technical features that make the database more efficient, makes applications easier to program, and allow for more advanced queries not possible in earlier versions of MYSQL.

One of the reasons that PHP is so popular is because it is by far the easiest scripting language to learn. Through experience, I have found that PHP is by far the closest you can get to written English in terms of syntax. There are dozens of PHP books out there that will take you through step-by-step on how to get started in the language through programming the most complex of applications. In addition to all of that, the PHP online community is the largest of any development community. With easy access to help and reference, the language for beginning programmers is definitely PHP. There if you are looking to learn programming and get your feet wet, you would do well to find a host that supports PHP and MYSQL.

Besides the fact that is easy to pick up and learn, the real reason why PHP is so popular, is the plethora of free applications out there for people to use. No other web programming language can even come close to rivaling the amount of free scripts that PHP has. No matter if you want to run a online dating site, an e-commerce site, a community, or some other type of site, there is probably a PHP script that fits your needs. Since there are so many to choose from, I have made some personal recommendations for script to use for specific purposes below to help you start:

1. PHPBB3 - PHPBB3 is the most popular and best free forum software out there today. Despite what many will say about its shortcomings in securities and features, it is the most complete free package you will find. Personally, I have used PHPBB as well as paid forum software such as VB and IPB and I honestly can’t tell the difference. The newest version of PHPBB, called Olympus, has all the features that most forumers and forum owners will ever need. PHPBB also has a large and dedicated modding community where experienced(and unexperienced) programmers make add-ons to the software that you may find useful. Most all of these add-ons are free and it is very possible to run a fully integrated site off of the PHPBB forum software.

2. Wordpress - There is not enough praise people can give to Wordpress to really show how great this blog software is. It is simple enough to use for someone who just wants to create a personal blog but has all the writing and editing features necessary to please even a professional writer or journalist. Add to this the number of free plugins and themes there are available for Wordpress and you have a near-perfect blogging solution. Wordpress can also be easily made into a news site backend with a few easy plugins and also has integration ends with other popular scripts if you are looking for a larger solution.

3. Joomla - Joomla has quickly become the most popular content management system(CMS) online for webmasters. It takes a we-have-everything-and-the-kitchen sink approach in terms of features. While Joomla may be a server resource hog at high usage levels, there is no question about the number of functions and integrations it has. Stock Joomla installs are actually not that server-intensive, its the add-ons that are made by beginners that you want to avoid. One common add-on that causes problems and you my want to avoid is the statistics add-on.

4. OScommerce - OScommerce is the most popular e-commerce software that is written in PHP. It has the ability to integrate with many payment systems such as Paypal, 2checkout, moneybookers, as well as regular credit card integrations. There are also many PHP programmers who are familiar with Oscommerce and can easily integrate a payment method that is not currently offered. If your looking for a free PHP e-commerce solution or want to create a quick online store, then Oscommerce may be what you are looking for.

5. PHP Open Chat - PHP Open-Chat is a fully functional chatroom system written in PHP with many of the features that popular chatrooms such as the ones on AOL or Yahoo have. It features a complete users and admin system, the ability to create multiple rooms, difference user levels, custom bans, and more. It also uses a javascript method in conjunction with PHP to lessen the stress on the servers that is brought on by the reloading of the page in order to update the chat room. If your looking for a script that allows friends to get together and talk, this is the software for you.

These great software packages are all free to use and barely begin to scratch the surface of the free scripts that PHP has to offer. There are hundreds of softwares for blogs, E-commerce, forums, content management systems, chats, an calenders free for people to download and use. The number of available PHP applications is always on the rise as more and more developers join the PHP community. If you are a fan of quality free pre-made applications, then there is no choice except to choose a host that supports PHP and MYSQL as all of these applications need those two platforms to run.

Because of its popularity, its ease of learning, the readily available online support, and the vast array of free applications that PHP/MYSQL offers, a hosting service with these two features is very much preferred when choosing a host for your website or business. Without these critical features, your ability to get started quickly and expand will be severely limited as no other language can rival the convenience and the readily available softwares that PHP/MYSQL has to offer. Therefore in today’s online world, there is no reason to choose a webhost that does not have PHP/MYSQL.

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