By Rodel Garcia
So you have finally arrived at a stage where you to need tochoose a web host to run your PHP & MySQL supported website.This means your website is dynamic, that is, it changesaccording to the feedback from your visitors or the data yourMySQL database contains.
You may need PHP features in your web hosting for the followingreasons:
[o] YOU NEED TO PROCESS THE WEB FORM USING php
Although there are numerous CGI scripts available (and manyhosts provide these scripts for free), if you can, it ispreferable to get your own script written to meet your specificrequirements. The cgi scripts available at your web host arevery generic in nature. If you have your own PHP script tohandle your form, you can generate your own response when avisitor submits your form.
There are great many JavaScripts that can help you validate yourforms, but these days many surfers prefer to disable scripts forthe fearing on getting infected with worms and viruses. phpscript on the other hand a server-side script and nobody canstop them from running as long as the browser is loading the webpage.
You can also send a customized "thank you" message to whoeversubmits the form. After sending the "thank you" message andemailing the form details to you, your customized php script canalso save the submitted information in a php database.
[o] MANAGE PRODUCT CATALOGS WITH php & MySql DATABASE
You may like to generate your pages dynamically using data inyour MySQL database. For example, if you want to maintain acatalog of 150 different wine bags, it would be arduous tomaintain the details manually. Instead you can put informationlike price, shape, color, picture path, etc. in a database andthen write a php page that, let us say, shows 10 wine bags at atime. The visitor thinks she's visited 15 pages, but there isonly one dynamic page that is sequentially showing the products.
Additionally, if you want your visitors to be able to conductsearches (just red wine bags) you can upload a php script toyour web host that shows only the wine bags that satisfy thesearch criteria.
[o] PUBLISH A BLOG
You may need a PHP/MySQL web host if you are planning to publisha regular blog.
Most blogging software these days, such as MovableType andWordPress use php and MySql to generate dynamic content. Infact, WordPress has been purely written using PHP and MySql sothat people well-versed with the php programming language canmake their own changes.
[o] MANAGE AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE
Choosing a php / MySql web host is a great way to go if you wantto run an e-commerce website. E-commerce websites indisputablyneed dynamic capabilities such as updatable shopping carts andinventory management systems that can be developed using php andMySql.
As they say, when it comes to imagination and innovation, thesky is the limited. A PHP/MySQL web host empowers you to createas many web-enabled capabilities as you can think of.
ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING A php / MySql WEB HOST
Advantages of opting for php & MySql web hosting are:
1. php websites, since they are run on Linux and Unix, areconsidered more secure compared to Windows supported languagessuch as ASP and .NET.
2. Lots of free php source code is available on the Internet.There are hundreds of forums that readily provide you assistancewhile you learn and develop websites in php.
3. Both php and MySql are free from License fees.
4. php & MySql web hosting is much cheaper than Windowssupported hosting
5. Applications written in php are sturdier and easily scalableto various web hosting environments. Notably, php scripts can berun on Windows hosting but ASP and .NET apps do not work onLinux and Unix
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