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Ask HN: Where and how do I start with PHP/Ruby on Rails and JS for my project

2 points by kiriappeee ↗ HN
So I've got a few ideas for some sites that I want to build. The sites will, for the most part have user signups, data storage (material uploaded) and will need to have a rich UI.

I could probably accelerate the development by using Flex or Silverlight but I really don't want to depend on plugins for the idea I currently want to build on. It's something that has to be accessible to everyone so PHP is my current option. Especially since it has such a large community surrounding it.

About myself as a developer. I'm not a noob developer. I know programming concepts. But I am completely new to web programming. I do know web architecture and AJAX conceptually but I've never touched PHP or java script in my life.

Oh I am also not developing a web app here.

I just want a few pointers to some good resources out there that could have me applying knowledge to building this site on the go.

It is critical that I will need to know a) site design b) AJAX c) Knowledge on implementing a site in a scalable way so that it doesn't become a monolithic block at any time. It has to support agile development d) Security. The site will include payment options so the last thing I'd want would be SQL injections into a non encrypted database and everyones personal info getting stolen. (Stop 'gawking').I need to know how to secure the site on ALL fronts e) FTP services for the site.

So yea. That was a little too much to form into a search query and I don't want to spend time right at the start looking for material that might suit my needs.

So I was hoping the HN community could help me out here by pointing me in the right direction to a bunch of tutorials that help me get into the real development ASAP.

thanks :)

edit 1- first comment I got was to look at Ruby on Rails. I've heard so much about this that I really wouldn't mind. Could people leave resources for both then? If you support Rails drop some resources for Rails here and if it's PHP well.. same thing

7 comments

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Charuru
I recommend drupal, it's the fastest launchpad for everything you want to do. It's got an impressive amount of pre-written code of various quality that are relatively easy to put together.

However if you're serious about becoming a real web developer who likes to get his hands really dirty, then I recommend avoiding PHP and going for Ruby on Rails.

kiriappeee
yeps. I enjoy having complete control over what I write. . I will look into it anyway. Ok. then... Ruby on Rails resources? Thanks! :)

edit - after looking at drupal i took off the line "Drupal might be ok for initial stages but it probably won't scale as well".

CPops
I'm not suggesting you use Drupal without a good reason, but if you're worrying about hypothetical scaling concerns before you've ever even touched PHP or Rails in your life, you're probably focusing on the wrong thing.

Both Rails/PHP are solid choices. If your app fits well within Rails' set of defaults and constraints, you should get to market quicker. PHP has its own set of advantages, such as the ease of procuring cheap hosting and the vast number of trained PHP developers out there that can help build/maintain anything you build.

Charuru
>Drupal might be ok for initial stages but it probably won't scale as well

What is that, hearsay? No, drupal scales fine. Look at the many large sites that use drupal, like the economist, whitehouse.gov and the examiner.

For RoR the standard tutorial is: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/

uxp
The Poignant Guide is great for Ruby, which I highly recommend one has a decent understanding of before delving into Rails, but it is not very useful for Rails itself.

After understanding Ruby, http://guides.rubyonrails.org/ is where you should go to figure out Rails.

Charuru
Yeah, I just meant that's a great place to start when doing RoR, first make sure you have your Ruby covered and then moving on.
kiriappeee
Yea I saw that bit on sites that have used drupal and really scaled well. What I did mean by scaling well though was the speed at which I could add features and make small changes and tweaks to existing ones. that's why I took that statement out of the comment but kept it in the edit just so anyone could clarify. Thanks.