[ILUG] [OT] Which programming language ?

[A. Dreyer]

Declan Grady wrote:
> Rory Browne wrote:
> 
>> I had to laugh at the suggestion of VB on a Linux mailing
>> list(although TBH [OT] was in the subject). From your description of
>> what you need, I think Perl would be best for your needs:
>>
>> 1: You already have basic Perl experience. 2: Perl is Cross Platform.
>> 3: Perl integrates with most GUI Kits (wxWidgets, Tk, Gtk, to name but 
>> a few)
>> 4: Perl has an excellent DBI module.
>> 5: Perl can be compiled into native binaries, using perlcc, as well as
>> interpreted normally.
>>
>>  
>>
> OK. I had a quick look at php on my deadrat apache box yesterday (oh the 
> joys of apt4rpm !), and I do like the idea of having a browser as a client.
> To fill in the picture a bit, my app is for calculating materials and 
> labour required to make a product.
> My current app has around 30 tables of pricing and another 15 or so of 
> standard figures which are used to calculate labour times.
> The tables would be queried to provide options in the app, and also 
> queried to perform a recalc of a previously saved set of data.
> 
> what db should I look at ?  is MySQL a bit overkill .. I was even 
> considering flat files, but then I guess its reinventing the wheel to 
> query these files.

sqlite - very small and portable with SQL syntax (although not
          completely standard complient)

> Recommended online tutorials / books for php would be most welcome.

http://www.php.net/tut.php
http://www.php.net/manual/
http://www.phpfreaks.com/

(German http://www.selfphp.com/)