PHP vs RoR - 2 Years Later
I have never been convinced that there were compelling reasons to use any specific language over another. Specifically Ruby on Rails over PHP. RoR provides many great advantages relative to data-basing and prototyping that make it attractive to those looking to increase productivity. Would not becoming an expert in any language increase productivity? For the most part I believe that programmers should code in the language that they enjoy. This by default helps them become experts.
My belief has always been predicated on the theory that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Your customers require expertise and knowledge about how to apply technology to their business problems. Global knowledge of all programming options available to solve these problems is a good thing relative to knowing the technology landscape strategically. It is insignificance however when actually solving the problem if you don’t understand the ramifications of your decisions. Expert knowledge on a subject will always trump speed when it comes to productivity. In most cases, speed is a direct result of expertise.
Derek Sivers has written an excellent article on this topic called “7 Reasons I switched back to PHP after 2 years on Rails“. The reality of any programming language is that you the programmer, regardless of language, must be able to accomplish something real, tangible and profitable with it. The ability to do this is directly related to your fundamental knowledge of a language and its ability to interact with a database structure. After all, any application (web or otherwise), is comprised of presentation, interaction, and database layers respectively. Read his article now and make your own assessment.
Cartoon from http://www.bokardo.com - Home of Joshua Porter, Social Design Engineer.
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