Re[2]: php vs WebCatalog
This WebDNA talk-list message is from 2000
It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 27057
interpreted = N
texte = Jerome - Please write me a cart number generator. Do it in pseudo-code, PHP, or even C; doesn't matter to me. Make sure it can handle 1000's of hits per second without creating a dupe. I don't think you have even considered how to do it, let alone tried.I also don't think you have checked the random number generator in PHP sufficiently to be able to say that it is superior to WebCat. The only, and I mean ONLY, perfect random number generator is hardware based. Intel was supposed to include a RAND() generator on their CPU's (based on a leaky transistor model) but it got caught up in the controversy with the CPU serial number. I haven't heard anything about it since then.Many software random number generators are not even vaguely random. I suspect that WebCat relies on whatever the platform can provide, which means that it will vary based on the platform (and sometime even the version of the libraries included). The added complication that most data is not distributed randomly to begin with and you can quickly come to the conclusion that a random process is less than random, and vice versa.If you will re-read what I wrote, I like MySQL for certain applications. Because of the file format, it is not suitable for applications with a lot of delete/append cycles. ISP authentication is 99.999% lookups, 0.001% password changes. Not surpassing that MySQL could handle it. You are not expecting that ebay or amazon switch over to MySQL because it's free, are you?I also was critical of Dave because I think complaining about the cost of WebCat is childish. Professional software costs money; being in business means having a certain level of cash on hand to operate. Borland's new C++ Builder 5 is $2500/user for the Enterprise edition. The nearest comparable e-commerce packages to WebCat was $10,000 the last time I checked. It is possible to do everything that WebCat does with a general purpose package like PHP, but I would guess it would take 100 hours of programming to recreate most of what you would need.I use Perl a lot; I have several Linux servers in place. I also bought a commercial firewall (Watchguard) which is based on a Linux kernal, because I didn't have time to deal with ipchains. I save money when it makes sense and spend money when it make sense. I converted our primary order entry/warehousing system using Perl/DBI/DBD::Oracle, so I know the value of free software. It also took me the better part of two years to do it. The cost of WebCatalog is reasonable compared to the development time to replace it, even with it's shortcomings.John Peacock------------------------------------------------------------- Brought to you by CommuniGate Pro - The Buzz Word Compliant Messaging Server. To end your Mail problems go to
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Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:
Jerome - Please write me a cart number generator. Do it in pseudo-code, PHP, or even C; doesn't matter to me. Make sure it can handle 1000's of hits per second without creating a dupe. I don't think you have even considered how to do it, let alone tried.I also don't think you have checked the random number generator in PHP sufficiently to be able to say that it is superior to WebCat. The only, and I mean ONLY, perfect random number generator is hardware based. Intel was supposed to include a RAND() generator on their CPU's (based on a leaky transistor model) but it got caught up in the controversy with the CPU serial number. I haven't heard anything about it since then.Many software random number generators are not even vaguely random. I suspect that WebCat relies on whatever the platform can provide, which means that it will vary based on the platform (and sometime even the version of the libraries included). The added complication that most data is not distributed randomly to begin with and you can quickly come to the conclusion that a random process is less than random, and vice versa.If you will re-read what I wrote, I like MySQL for certain applications. Because of the file format, it is not suitable for applications with a lot of delete/append cycles. ISP authentication is 99.999% lookups, 0.001% password changes. Not surpassing that MySQL could handle it. You are not expecting that ebay or amazon switch over to MySQL because it's free, are you?I also was critical of Dave because I think complaining about the cost of WebCat is childish. Professional software costs money; being in business means having a certain level of cash on hand to operate. Borland's new C++ Builder 5 is $2500/user for the Enterprise edition. The nearest comparable e-commerce packages to WebCat was $10,000 the last time I checked. It is possible to do everything that WebCat does with a general purpose package like PHP, but I would guess it would take 100 hours of programming to recreate most of what you would need.I use Perl a lot; I have several Linux servers in place. I also bought a commercial firewall (Watchguard) which is based on a Linux kernal, because I didn't have time to deal with ipchains. I save money when it makes sense and spend money when it make sense. I converted our primary order entry/warehousing system using Perl/DBI/DBD::Oracle, so I know the value of free software. It also took me the better part of two years to do it. The cost of WebCatalog is reasonable compared to the development time to replace it, even with it's shortcomings.John Peacock------------------------------------------------------------- Brought to you by CommuniGate Pro - The Buzz Word Compliant Messaging Server. To end your Mail problems go to .This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list . To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to
jpeacock@univpress.com
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