Posted by beliavsky on 09/29/05 19:01

Here is the beginning of a story in the 29 Sep 2005 Wall Street
Journal. The WSJ web site requires a paid subscription to access
articles.

PHP Language Wins Supporters
As Tool for Making Web Software

Alternative to Sun's Java
Is Adopted by Companies,
Developers Like Andreessen
By DAVID BANK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 29, 2005; Page B4

'Back when the Web was young, Marc Andreessen, then the wunderkind
co-founder of Netscape Communications Inc., gave his backing to a new
software programming language from Sun Microsystems Inc. That blessing
launched the Java language as a counterweight to Microsoft Corp.'s
technology dominance.

A decade later, Mr. Andreessen is endorsing another programming
language called PHP as an alternative to Java for creating a new
generation of Internet software.

PHP, like Java, has the support of some of technology's heaviest
hitters, including International Business Machines Corp., Oracle Corp.,
Intel Corp. and SAP AG. In an indication that "Internet time" still
moves quickly, Mr. Andreessen and other developers say Java is being
superseded by the simpler, faster PHP for building Web applications and
services.

"When it comes to the Web and Web applications, Java is not the right
language," Mr. Andreessen says.

Java remains useful for building major pieces of software
infrastructure, such as financial management or airline-reservation
systems, Mr. Andreessen says. But he adds: "PHP is the language to
build Web applications and Web sites that people use on a daily basis.
PHP is to 2005 what Java was to 1995."'

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