Posted by Paul on 01/24/07 22:46

Looking for recommendations on a programming language for a web
application.

I am soliciting recommendations on a programming language for a web
application described below. Actually, it is not real, just an example
of what the real application would do. I do not want to stimulate any
debates between respondents. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Let me be the one to privately decide on the validity of the comments.
All options are open: ASP.NET, PHP, Cold Fusion, Oracle, AJAX, XML, and
so forth. Yes some of you are better programmers with one of these
languages, but I hope you can be objective enough to provide insights
to possible shortcomings with your specialty as well as its strengths.
You thoughts on languages you are not so familiar with are acceptable
as well.

The web application will run similar to a custom manufacturing job shop
where a product is built from pre-determined parts or new parts with
multiple levels of sub-assemblies each with its ability to build from
the parts inventory. For example, the customer wants to build an
automobile. Then they choose from such things as engine, body type,
and tires. Then under engine, they can choose such things as V-8,
transmission type, fuel type, or define a new part (that will be added
to the inventory).

Expected database tables would be the parts inventory, and then tables
for each level that contains the links between tables so when, in this
example, this car is selected again, all components will be listed as
originally designed.

This is pretty simplistic but a fairly good example. I would like all
of this to be viewable on a single page. Items at the lower level
cannot be selected until the items of the higher level have been
specified. As one progresses down through the levels, the number of
total items at that level would normally become more numerous. For
example, let's say the body type had three parts, and the tires had
three parts; you can see that we started with one main unit built from
three sub-elements, with each of those sub-elements being built from
three parts for a total of nine parts at that level. Elements from the
inventory may be used at any level. For example, we could list a type
of machine screw to be used to build the body type and to build the
V-8.

We also need to be able to attach to each part a reference to something
like a page from a manual, a web site, or an image.

We also want to ability to provide spelling and grammar checking.

When building or adding parts; we want to be able to search the parts
inventory.

When finished, we need to be able output this completed "job" to
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

I would expect a database handling 1000s of users, each with it own log
in to access it own data, and maybe an average of 250 users in the
database at a time.

[Back to original message]