Advantages of PHP
Provides increased ability to control the content on a page. A web page is developed using HTML tags that allow us to control specific attributes and content. Static web pages do not contain dynamic content and limit functionality of the website, hence the need to include programs (scripts) to provide dynamic content (Ducket 500). PHP allows us to embed such programs which help to maximize the potential of the website (Lerdorf, Tatroe and MacIntyre 1).
In addition, PHP can provide a significant load reduction on a client work station. As indicated in the previous slide access time is reduced. This occurs because PHP performs server side scripting. This ensures all interpretation is done before the page is loaded on the client thus saving time and reducing the load on the network (Yank 1).
Since interpretation is done on the server side, PHP does not present browser compatibility issues. It is common to experience compatibility issues with web pages containing other scripts that may require browser’s to possess specific capabilities. The compatibility issues limit the access to data on a network such as the internet. PHP is freeware, and as such is very easily accessible and cheap (Gilmore 7).
PHP provides mechanisms that simplify interaction with databases (Gowans 1)
MySQL: Relational Databases
This is a sample of data stored in a relation within a database built with MySQL. This representation is known as a relational database and uses tabular format to represent sets of data. The format allows for easy interpretation, access and retrieval of data. The field identified as Student ID can be used as a unique identifier and can ease the process of finding data through creation of an index.
Advantages of MySQL
MySQL database management software presents the user with an opportunity to store large amounts of data in relations (tables) and access this data through a web server (Yank 1). This suggests an increased level of information sharing.
The premise behind the use of relations (tables) is that the data can be classified based on specific attributes and grouped into categories. With such categories in existence locating data becomes very easy since indexes can be created to speed up retrieval, storage and other operations on the data (Butcher 12).
In addition to speeding up data operations, programs such as MySQL provide security benefits to users (Welling and Thomson 3). Through the settings one can control access to the data, modification permissions, data concurrency during execution and error handling mechanisms (Gilmore 575).
Through the use of queries (SQL) users are able to retrieve data sets that match specific criteria thus providing additional flexibility. Instead of creating new relations such queries allow us to specify what we want and how we want it presented.
Works Cited
Butcher, Tony. Sams Teach yourself MySQL in 21 days. 2nd ed. USA: Sams Publishing, 2003.
Ducket, Jon. Beginning Web Programming With HTML, XHTML and CSS. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, 2004.
Gilmore, W. Jason. Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL 5: From Novice to Professional. 2nd ed. USA: Apress, 2006.
Gowan, David. Gowansnet.com: PHP/MySQL Tutorial – Part 1 Introduction. 2001. Web.
Lerdorf, Rasmus, Kevin, Tatroe and Peter, MacIntyre. Programming PHP. 2nd ed. California: O’Reilly Media Inc, 2006.
Welling, Luke and Laura Thomson. MySQL Tutorial: A Concise Introduction to the Fundamentals of working with MySQL. USA: Pearson Education Inc., 2004.
Yank, Kevin. MySQL: The Worlds Most Popular Open Source Database. 2008. Web.