Common Programming Languages for Websites

Many people want to publish their own website and the first thing that they need to do is to define the right type of programming language. There are different types of languages available and despite the presence of many much newer types, these languages should be quite useful for a variety of reasons and situations.

• HTML: HTML or Hypertext Markup Language is essentially the building block of world wide web. It is the most basic form of Internet code and it should be very simple to create. In fact, we only need a Notepad to create a HTML file. We could write down the code and save the file with .HTM or .HTML extension, instead of .TXT. However, we need something that’s more sophisticated and dynamic than HTML.
• PHP: PHP is also known as Hypertext Preprocessor and it is the most common type of server-side language. Programmers can embed PHP codes directly to HTML files. It is usually integrated with CGI or Common gateway Interface. The technology is designed to process data and generate dynamic content that can be rendered by web browsers. PHP can do so much more than HTML, because it works like a full-fledged programming language. It is supported by any web server and major operating systems. PHP is still the main focus for web development and it should solve many issues related to requirements.
• ColdFusion: Macromedia’s ColdFusion is one of the earliest web technologies and it could also be used for various purposes. It is consisted of various components, such as ColdFusion Studio to create individual webpages and ColdFusion Server display webpages based on the technology. With ColdFusion, it should be easy to deliver webpages on the fly using content from the database. The database contains bits of content and when type a URL, the ColdFusion server looks for relevant codes and pages with required content are created. In this case, ColdFusion should be suitable for larger companies, because the implementation can be fairly costly. Nevertheless, the technology is known for its reliability and ease of use.
• JSP: JSP or Java Server Pages is a Sun Microsystems’ technology. It is designed to control web content using small programs that run on specified web server, also known as servlets. Servlets create and modify webpages on servers; before they are displayed by the web browser. JSP is versatile, because it combines static HTML with the highly proven Java language.
• ASP: ASP or Active Server Pages are a solution for people who want to deliver interactive, dynamic web pages. They are designed to create useful server-side scripts on standard HTML tags. These scripts are processed by servers and then rendered by web browsers to ensure good representation. While standard HTML webpages has .HTM or .HTML extension, pages with Active Server Pages end with .ASP extensions. ASP is known for being language-independent and can be used easily across all applications and platforms. They are known to be quite powerful and flexible.