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A php stack is the right stack for 2017 or 2019 for a company like Wag. What would a javascript framework offer them? Their core product is connecting people

by wolco 7y ago

A php stack is the right stack for 2017 or 2019 for a company like Wag. What would a javascript framework offer them? Their core product is connecting people and dogs. A php stack with laravel means they have a working website with authentication on day 1. What would a javascript framework offer them? Emailing tests or documents is very common during the interview process if the company is a startup. Offer them a github link with the code if you want to standout. Why apply without knowing the stack?

danpalmer 7y ago
> Offer them a github link with the code if you want to standout. Make sure it's a private GitHub repo, or you ask first. Many companies prefer their coding tests to not be published online. It happens, it's unavoidable, but companies can often get by with the same test for a while if people don't post them on GitHub too much.
xnyan 7y ago
Maybe I'm dumb - Can anyone tell me why PHP vs JS for a "generic" web application? \In 2019 there are far far far more developers with real experience developing in Javascript vs PHP. There are obviously a lot of other factors in considering the base dev language, but unless you can make a strong case for PHP vs JS, I'm picking JS every time because in the generic case they both meet my needs but a lot more devs work with JS vs PHP. This is not a moral argument, but rather a practical one. What is the practical argument for PHP?
- cma 7y ago
  A PHP stack can maybe help you get acquired by Facebook, like a COBOL stack could ease an acquisition by an old insurance company.
- kortilla 7y ago
  There are far fewer devs with server-side JavaScript experience. When it comes to server-side for small startups, the syntax is irrelevant compared to the maturity of the ecosystem. Look how much of the web is still Wordpress.
- TheKarateKid 7y ago
  PHP an older and more mature language. It also is synchronous so it runs similar to C/Java/Python. Programming full stack with JavaScript requires a different programming mindset with its asynchronous nature.
  - wavefunction 7y ago
    JavaScript predates PHP by five years. 'Maturity' is a subjective quality in my opinion and I also think PHP is a hot mess. JavaScript is synchronous unless you specifically utilize its asynchronous parts. Asynchronous execution is possible with PHP
    - hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago
      > think PHP is a hot mess. Have you used PHP in the last 5 years?
      - tekkk 7y ago
        I'm not trying to pick a side here, and I'm sure modern PHP is fantastic with Laravel and all that. But it seems to me that the PHP-advocates are failing to understand that impressions matter a lot to developers. I wouldn't touch PHP with a ten-foot pole if I can. Not because modern PHP is terrible but that the baggage of terrible PHP is still strong in my memory, and I'm not willing the re-evaluate PHP as my choice for backend because of that. Period. That ship has sailed. Sure TS with something like Express has its disadvantages but I'm ok with it. It's the tool I use for a specific job and there's a lot more useful things to learn than another language & framework just for its sake.
        hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago
        I guess I'm coming from the perspective of having worked on terrible JS (serverside) code bases and then moved to modern PHP... I'm not calling JS a hot mess though. I'm sure there are great JS projects out there. It is really nice to use a framework again though rather than a loose collection of libraries.. > there's a lot more useful things to learn than another language & framework just for its sake. Agreed.
- wolco 7y ago
  The pool of js developers available include php developers. Specifically node developers cost more and are far fewer in numbers.
driverdan 7y ago
I downvoted you because there is no "right" stack. All popular languages have good web frameworks. The right one to launch with is the one your team knows the best.
- vageli 7y ago
  > I downvoted you because there is no "right" stack. All popular languages have good web frameworks. The right one to launch with is the one your team knows the best. Surely there are more appropriate stacks for specific problem domains? Like how using R outside of data analysis is probably weird, or writing your microcontroller code in nodejs is probably a bad idea. The law of the hammer exists, and if your tasks requires a screwdriver and all you have is a hammer it will be more challenging than need be.
  - driverdan 7y ago
    You're correct but I was talking about language selection in the context of web development. There are, of course, specific domains that have language requirements.
- mjfisher 7y ago
  I'm not sure that's the case with Javascript - there's plenty of microframeworks (express, hapi) and even a couple with bigger ambitions - like Sails.js Last time I looked, none were comparable to Rails/Django/SpringBoot/Laravel
- luckylion 7y ago
  You are setting yourself up for a much harder employee market if you're choosing something fresh and hip, though. Finding skilled js people that have experience with your framework choice will typically be harder than finding a developer that knows php and Laravel. Imho if you have no specific reason to choose one stack over another, choose a very common one (for projects where you expect to need other people to join).
cool-RR 7y ago
If they define themselves as a real estate company that has a website, sure, use a PHP framework. If they define themselves as a technology company, which I believe they do, and they want lots of complex features for their services, and set an exorbitant valuation on that basis, then they better have the right infrastructure for that.

by wolco 7y ago

danpalmer 7y ago

> Offer them a github link with the code if you want to standout. Make sure it's a private GitHub repo, or you ask first. Many companies prefer their coding tests to not be published online. It happens, it's unavoidable, but companies can often get by with the same test for a while if people don't post them on GitHub too much.

xnyan 7y ago

Maybe I'm dumb - Can anyone tell me why PHP vs JS for a "generic" web application? \In 2019 there are far far far more developers with real experience developing in Javascript vs PHP. There are obviously a lot of other factors in considering the base dev language, but unless you can make a strong case for PHP vs JS, I'm picking JS every time because in the generic case they both meet my needs but a lot more devs work with JS vs PHP. This is not a moral argument, but rather a practical one. What is the practical argument for PHP?

cma 7y ago
A PHP stack can maybe help you get acquired by Facebook, like a COBOL stack could ease an acquisition by an old insurance company.
kortilla 7y ago
There are far fewer devs with server-side JavaScript experience. When it comes to server-side for small startups, the syntax is irrelevant compared to the maturity of the ecosystem. Look how much of the web is still Wordpress.
TheKarateKid 7y ago
PHP an older and more mature language. It also is synchronous so it runs similar to C/Java/Python. Programming full stack with JavaScript requires a different programming mindset with its asynchronous nature.
- wavefunction 7y ago
  JavaScript predates PHP by five years. 'Maturity' is a subjective quality in my opinion and I also think PHP is a hot mess. JavaScript is synchronous unless you specifically utilize its asynchronous parts. Asynchronous execution is possible with PHP
  - hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago
    > think PHP is a hot mess. Have you used PHP in the last 5 years?
    - tekkk 7y ago
      I'm not trying to pick a side here, and I'm sure modern PHP is fantastic with Laravel and all that. But it seems to me that the PHP-advocates are failing to understand that impressions matter a lot to developers. I wouldn't touch PHP with a ten-foot pole if I can. Not because modern PHP is terrible but that the baggage of terrible PHP is still strong in my memory, and I'm not willing the re-evaluate PHP as my choice for backend because of that. Period. That ship has sailed. Sure TS with something like Express has its disadvantages but I'm ok with it. It's the tool I use for a specific job and there's a lot more useful things to learn than another language & framework just for its sake.
      - hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago
        I guess I'm coming from the perspective of having worked on terrible JS (serverside) code bases and then moved to modern PHP... I'm not calling JS a hot mess though. I'm sure there are great JS projects out there. It is really nice to use a framework again though rather than a loose collection of libraries.. > there's a lot more useful things to learn than another language & framework just for its sake. Agreed.
wolco 7y ago
The pool of js developers available include php developers. Specifically node developers cost more and are far fewer in numbers.

driverdan 7y ago

I downvoted you because there is no "right" stack. All popular languages have good web frameworks. The right one to launch with is the one your team knows the best.

vageli 7y ago
> I downvoted you because there is no "right" stack. All popular languages have good web frameworks. The right one to launch with is the one your team knows the best. Surely there are more appropriate stacks for specific problem domains? Like how using R outside of data analysis is probably weird, or writing your microcontroller code in nodejs is probably a bad idea. The law of the hammer exists, and if your tasks requires a screwdriver and all you have is a hammer it will be more challenging than need be.
- driverdan 7y ago
  You're correct but I was talking about language selection in the context of web development. There are, of course, specific domains that have language requirements.
mjfisher 7y ago
I'm not sure that's the case with Javascript - there's plenty of microframeworks (express, hapi) and even a couple with bigger ambitions - like Sails.js Last time I looked, none were comparable to Rails/Django/SpringBoot/Laravel
luckylion 7y ago
You are setting yourself up for a much harder employee market if you're choosing something fresh and hip, though. Finding skilled js people that have experience with your framework choice will typically be harder than finding a developer that knows php and Laravel. Imho if you have no specific reason to choose one stack over another, choose a very common one (for projects where you expect to need other people to join).

cool-RR 7y ago

If they define themselves as a real estate company that has a website, sure, use a PHP framework. If they define themselves as a technology company, which I believe they do, and they want lots of complex features for their services, and set an exorbitant valuation on that basis, then they better have the right infrastructure for that.