There are many languages that we could use for web development, such as Ruby, PHP, Rapid Java and others. However, if we have learned more than a few of them, it is easy to see that they are conceptually similar. Any discussion or debate about the best programming languages will lead us nowhere. In this case, we shouldn’t look for the best language for development, but we should focus on the most appropriate one for specific purposes. Our programming language of choice should be based on this single fact. In fact, instead of debating about comparisons between programming languages, it is better that we start cranking out codes and be productive, regardless of our language of choice. In this case, we should make sure that we are able to choose more mature implementations of our languages. Development frameworks, including CodeIgniter or CodePHP will significantly improve our productivity if we are using PHP. In this case, we will be able write less codes and produce fewer bugs. This will also differentiate our application, due to much improved business logic.
There are things we can do to ensure that we could achieve mature implementations of our web development language. We should choose more established framewkrs. As an example, when developing ASP .NET applications with Linux, we could use Lisp or Mono to take them to the next level. Often, some of these frameworks are not the fastest way of getting things done, especially if we only develop simpler apps, but we will stay more organized if we will develop more complex ones. We should also check whether community behind specific language frameworks are significant enough. As an example, Django, CakePHP, Zend, Symfony, RoR, Grails and others have thriving communities. In fact, a dynamic community could become the best instructor we have. In many cases, people are willing to answer our questions minutes after we post a thread in a forum. We should also make sure that these frameworks have code stubs or plugins that we can use immediately.
As an example, it may not be necessary to build PayPal integration from scratch if others have done this before. In fact, these codes could have been tested thoroughly by many users. Successful frameworks could release dozens of new code stubs each week. We should be aware that these frameworks are intended to increase our productivity when we are working on more complex tasks. With these frameworks, it is possible to build a more complex system. As an example, it is easier to build a social networking platform similar to Twitter and Facebook with these platforms. Starting from scratch by writing all codes manually will be very time consuming. We should also be able to leverage existing solutions like DotNetNuke, Joomla and Drupal to improve our web development skills. Our goal is to get the complex project functioning as soon as possible and we could only do this through using frameworks. It should be noted that we shouldn’t go for perfection and if it is good enough for our purpose, then it is good enough.