   [web] Beginning web programming... need some advice
  I've been reading things regarding php vs. cgi vs. &#106avascript.  I'm looking to design my own websites and was looking for some help and comparisons between these languages.  I know plenty of people use php, but I've heard cgi (c++) is 70 times faster than php.What languages should you use when creating sites for clients, and are there any resources you recommend I look at to become fluent in this language?Thanks in advance.   
  I recommend PHP, though you should not learn it as your first language. Go with something object-oriented like Python, C#, etc. if you're brand new to programming. Learning PHP first thing could seriously mess you up. But if you've already learned some programming, go for PHP.&#106avascript does not even belong in the same sentence as PHP and CGI. It's used for client-side scripting (in the browser), while PHP and CGI are for server-side stuff. Not to say that you shouldn't learn &#106avascript, you'll definitely need it if you're doing any kind of serious web design.Good luck!   ;  How does CGI compare to PHP?   ;  How does CGI compare to PHP?   ;Quote:How does CGI compare to PHP?It doesn't. PHP is a programming language. CGI is a standardised method for having programs communicate with a webserver. You may, for example, use PHP as a CGI as opposed to an Apache module. Or Python as FCGI vs. mod_python (Apache module).Please abolish thoughts of x is faster than y. You're going to get skewered early on if you try to approach web development from that perspective. Actually, you will in general programming as well, but web development will be punishing moreso in the early stages.   ;  You may want to think about what you can afford, first.  If you can buy a dedicated server, or host a server, then C++/CGI may be the way to go.  If you are going to buy a hosting service, from one of the many services out there, then Apache/MySQL/PHP will probably be the right way.   ;  I would advise you to steer clear of PHP, unless you are extremely familiar with the concept of unit testing, and are prepared to write heavy tests for everything you write. Other technologies, such as JSP or ASP.NET, provide you with a compiler that can handle all the basic details, leaving you only with the high-level logic to test. hosting for ASP.NET is also available on almost the same scale as PHP.   ;  ASP.NET with C# is my advice too for a beginner. There are plenty of cheap hosts and Visual Studio Express is a good tool (it's what you typically write your code in).Java hosts are harder to find for some reason. Besides, JSP is awful (and that comes from somebody who uses Java far more than C#).   