| We assume if you are reading this article that you | | | | If that sounds like a lot to learn, it is. But if you |
| have been convinced to learn PHP. Perhaps you | | | | need any or all of this functionality you will swear |
| are new to PHP or perhaps you are already | | | | by PHP5. And swear at PHP4. If this is what you |
| experienced with PHP4. Now the question is why | | | | need don't look for workarounds, download PHP5. |
| should you do PHP5? After all, PHP4 is quite good. | | | | By the way, PHP5 doesn't only increase |
| Yes, but depending on what you are doing PHP5 | | | | object-oriented functionality. Because of better |
| can be better, much better. Just a simple | | | | internal management PHP5 actually works faster |
| reminder, we feel that most people who are new | | | | than PHP4 or the Microsoft alternatives, whether |
| to programming should start with PHP4. Most | | | | or not you are using this new functionality. |
| people learn to walk before they learn to skate. | | | | The world wide web is really world-wide. Yes, and |
| But many great hockey players learned to ice | | | | many parts of the world don't rely on our |
| skate before they learned to walk. | | | | 26-letter alphabet. PHP5 supports non-Western |
| Object-oriented programming is the way to go | | | | character sets and Unicode so that you can |
| when you want to develop sophisticated | | | | develop web pages for the whole wide world. |
| applications. Many purists say that people serious | | | | If you use XML instead of HTML you should |
| about programming should start with | | | | move to PHP5 for a variety of technical reasons. |
| object-oriented programming right from the | | | | Many sections of PHP5 were rewritten to extend, |
| beginning. Don't get me wrong. PHP4 provides | | | | improve, and simplify using XML. Additional |
| many aspects of object-oriented programming. | | | | reasons for moving to PHP5 include dozens of |
| But it is missing many other aspects. The | | | | new functions and improved MySQL support. On |
| following is a partial list of functionality missing in | | | | the downside, PHP5 is not supported on Windows |
| PHP4 but available in PHP5. (This is not the place | | | | 95. Considering that Microsoft no longer supports |
| to explain these functions, don't worry if you | | | | Windows 95 we should not be too surprised. But |
| don't know what they mean until you are ready | | | | you can run PHP5 on old computers. I have run |
| to start using them.) PHP5 enables you to work | | | | PHP5 programs under Windows 2000 on a |
| with destructors, private and protected member | | | | computer purchased new in August, 1999. And |
| variables and functions, static member variables | | | | the entire PHP environment required less than 100 |
| and functions, interfaces, class type hints, abstract | | | | Megabytes. |
| classes and methods, object iteration, and more. | | | | |