Posted by Harold Crump on 07/05/06 22:53

ImOk wrote:
> Nice explanation for ASP.NET. However I have used ASP.NET and find
> productivity and maintenance to slide to the negative side of ASP.

The biggest benefit a platform like ASP.NET (and .NET in general, for
that matter) offers is the ability to build custom application
frameworks, not just for data access but for all types of application
services (exception handling, navigation, instrumentation, etc.)
Being a truly object-oriented platform, with a lot of stuff pre-baked
into the framework allows us to create application frameworks that
speed-up development and are extensible as well.

Enterprise Libraries (from the P&P group at Microsoft) is extensively
used in business applications, and a lot of development shops have
either extended it or built their own frameworks on top of that.

While it is possible to build application frameworks with PHP, their
robustness, complexity and extensibility cannot match those of .NET.

> Database work is a bear. You need expensive tools and purchase
> additional controls. If you use their prebuilt controls you are stuck
> with their limitations. Basically you have no control over your
> javascript with these controls or you have to figure out their inner
> workings..

I agree, to a certain degree.
If your app depends a lot on client-side scripting, style sheets, etc.
you will run into issues if you go cross browser.
However, on a PHP or ASP platform, you have no controls - you have to
build everything from scratch anyways.
You can always build your own controls with .NET so much easier than
with ASP or PHP.

> Lastly you application is not portable back and forth to Linux and its
> MS centric.

True, at the same time, how many Microsoft based ISPs provide PHP
support?
It is also MS centric because a lot of its power exists because it is
tied to a platform.
If you take away SQL Server, BizTalk, the .NET CLR, etc. ASP.NET will
loose most of its teeth.

> PHP offers protability, free or pocket change tools and flexibility and
> is progressive. Maybe if are making American Express website you would
> use that APS.NET. After all what is a few millions to AMEX.

I find that any appliaction that requires a wide user base, especially
one where there is no control over user's platform and browser, ASP.NET
may not be the best choice.
The most successful applications that I have built with ASP.NET have
been B2B type apps, or those where the users' requirement for
complexity, extensibility and speed of development outweighed their
requirement for cross platform and cross browser support.

That does not mean that you should not use ASP.NET unless you can lock
down to IE 6.0+ - you can always build custom UI components.
You will still have the benefits an application framework.

-Harold.

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