What do you recommend for a site that needs frequent updates?

[Kasracer]

At work I need to make a website that allows us to display data (like certain things sold and some other statistics) and It needs to be updated easily.

Now my manager told me to let me know what I need and he'll see about getting it done but I'd rather do it with as little server-side scripting as possible.

So I need to make a site with statistics and such and it needs to be able to be modified inside of a web browser. It also needs to be platform-independant so no ActiveX controls.

Do I absolutely need a server-side technology like PHP? Would the easiest route be using PHP and saving to a text file? I take it there isn't anyway to modify a text file on a web server without some sort of server-side technology, correct?

Also, does anyone know if PHP is installed by default on OS X's apache install or not?

[mendhak]

Server side scripting is a must. You have no other way. As for platform independence, if you're talking about the application itself, then it doesn't really matter, since it's only a matter of having a browser.

Else, you can use PHP which can be hosted on a Linux server or Windows server (Apache and IIS both support it)

[CornedBee]

I very much doubt PHP comes with OS X's Apache install. While PHP is sponsored by the Apache foundation, they're not one product.

Oh, and a database is generally easier to use than plain text files.

[dj4uk]

Might be worth looking for a open source CMS (Content Management System) basically a fully database driven site already written for you - if you don't want to get your hands dirty. Example: http://phpnuke.org/. It depends which platform and language you have the facilities to host.

DJ

[Pc_Madness]

I wouldn't use OSX as a server.

[mendhak]

I've never heard of such a setup.

[dj4uk]

OS X is just a version of Linux so it can really be treated the same. PC-Madness - why not use OS X?

I'm sure I've read about a package of Apache, PHP and MySQL together recently but when I've done this install in the past it was separate. They are all open source so you can download and install them for free.

DJ

[CornedBee]

OS X is just a version of Linux so it can really be treated the same.

Sorry, but that's nonsense. OS X is based on the Darwin kernel, which is a variant of the BSD kernel, derived, I think, from the FreeBSD project.
Linux is a completely independent kernel.

[dj4uk]

I stand corrected - I always assumed BSD was a variant of Linux. There must be similarities surely? I wouldn't think OS X would be a bad platform as a web server?

DJ

[CornedBee]

Both BSD and Linux are "Unix-like" operating systems, meaning that they share a lot of similarities, most of which are written down in the POSIX standards, which both systems strive to comply with.

OS X was primarily developed as a desktop OS. While it would serve as a server OS, a different Unix variant (*BSD, Linux, something else) is probably a better choice.

[dj4uk]

Isn't there a OS X Server version of the software?

[CornedBee]

All three packages (Apache, PHP and MySQL) are provided for Mac OS X.

[dj4uk]

Just checked and there is a server version -> http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/ . Must be more geared to server environment than desktop.

CornedBee - thanks for the info.

kasracer - sorry for hijacking the thread!

DJ

[techgnome]

If you need/want a BSD server for web hosting, I believe that's what NetBSD was for... but I'm not sure.

However, as for pre-packaged PHP/Apache/MySQL/etc. There's LAMP, WAMP and XAMP... depending if you want the Linux, Windows or XP installs. It can all be found here: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/ (http://www.apachefriends.org/de/)

I do think other platforms are supported as well, but I'm not sure. I know for sure those three are.

Tg