O'Reilly Network Weblogs: once you know PHP5, all the Java examples make sense

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http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/5946

once you know PHP5, all the Java examples make sense

by Derek Sivers
Nov. 17, 2004
URL: http://www.zend.com/php5/andi-book-excerpt.php

I've been prejudiced against Java ever since the early days on the web on my Mac, where any web page that included a Java applet would crash my browser. Years later, any web page with a Java applet makes my hard drive churn for 8 seconds, freezing the computer until it loads Java into memory I guess, just to run a stupid mouse-hovering menu on a website. So of course this experience made me think of Java as some ridiculous stupid bloated language.

(Plus Java was often mentioned with that word "enterprise" that always makes me run the other direction, because you know the suits are near.)

Being a guy that just makes websites, I always ignored (or scoffed-at) Java. But as I was learning the object-oriented style of programming, most of the examples were in Java.

PHP5 comes out, and I get to know it and love it. Then I realized as I'm reading Java examples in articles and books - they all make sense now! PHP5 is just similar enough to Java that if you know PHP5, you can at least understand Java.

Reading Robert Kaye's language musings, I'm feeling that PHP5 also fits the praise he's giving Python : the power of Java but much faster to type. I'm very very impressed with PHP5.

Derek Sivers is the founder, president, and sole programmer behind CD Baby, independent music distribution, and HostBaby, web hosting for musicians.