areid
27 Aug 2006, 06:39 PM
I am a self-employed software developer specialising in database applications using SQL-Server and Visual Foxpro. I have decided that it is about time I started branching-out into web-based database applications.
* If I am to maximise my chances of employment over the coming years, is ASP.net (2.0) the best choice? Would I be better-off going with a more well-established scripting language such as PHP or Python? What are the development tools like for these languages? I have been looking at Visual Web Developer Express, and I am very impressed with it.
* When installing a site on a live web-server, which is easier to deploy? For ASP.net do I need anything else appart from the .net framework and IIS? Presumably I can use PHP or Python with Apache (which is free!), but would these be less expensive to deploy than .net? Or should I forget deployment and go with a hosting company that would take care of all the problems?
* Bearing in mind my clients are small/medium businesses, their budgets for web-deployment won't be huge, so I have to keep costs to a minimum. At the moment I am using the free download of VWDE, but it is not clear from the MSFT website if the express editions will be available after November 2006, and will they be charging for it, and how much? Will VDWE still be available as a separate application, or will I have to get full Visual Studio Express? Does anyone have this information?
Any help with the above would be appreciated.
Alan Harris-Reid
* If I am to maximise my chances of employment over the coming years, is ASP.net (2.0) the best choice? Would I be better-off going with a more well-established scripting language such as PHP or Python? What are the development tools like for these languages? I have been looking at Visual Web Developer Express, and I am very impressed with it.
* When installing a site on a live web-server, which is easier to deploy? For ASP.net do I need anything else appart from the .net framework and IIS? Presumably I can use PHP or Python with Apache (which is free!), but would these be less expensive to deploy than .net? Or should I forget deployment and go with a hosting company that would take care of all the problems?
* Bearing in mind my clients are small/medium businesses, their budgets for web-deployment won't be huge, so I have to keep costs to a minimum. At the moment I am using the free download of VWDE, but it is not clear from the MSFT website if the express editions will be available after November 2006, and will they be charging for it, and how much? Will VDWE still be available as a separate application, or will I have to get full Visual Studio Express? Does anyone have this information?
Any help with the above would be appreciated.
Alan Harris-Reid