What would be the best language for developing a site like etsy.com?

hameem

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I was wondering if you could suggest me a language to develop a site like etsy.com. Or even a CMS that could work.
 
I would definitely say Ruby on Rails for a site like this. Scaffolding makes it very easy to get going and Rails is extremely easy to maintain because of the clear file structure. PHP is great, but if you have ever had a PHP site for 5 or 10 years, you know that it tends to get messy after a while because actions, database queries and html tends to be all intertwined into one big mess unless you are extremely structured in your coding. And the latter tends to be a problem when you "just want to get things done".
 
I would definitely say Ruby on Rails for a site like this. Scaffolding makes it very easy to get going and Rails is extremely easy to maintain because of the clear file structure. PHP is great, but if you have ever had a PHP site for 5 or 10 years, you know that it tends to get messy after a while because actions, database queries and html tends to be all intertwined into one big mess unless you are extremely structured in your coding. And the latter tends to be a problem when you "just want to get things done".
Right. I never looked into Ruby on Rails. I just took a quick look.

What do you think about PHP with a framework? Would Ruby on Rails still hold an advantage if some php framework was used (because the frameworks support MVC model).
 
Right. I never looked into Ruby on Rails. I just took a quick look.

What do you think about PHP with a framework? Would Ruby on Rails still hold an advantage if some php framework was used (because the frameworks support MVC model).

I don't know your previous coding experience, but with scaffolding and a good Rails tutorial you could probably have a basic site up and running in less than a day (not talking into account the time spent on installing Ruby and Rails etc). Rails got a Rails Gem library where you can find a lot of precoded material to save time on such things on login etc.

Having said that, if you are starting to learn programming from completely scratch, Rails will probably require more study than PHP. If you have no coding experience at all, going for PHP and then buying a ready made script (tonnes of them available) that resembles the site you are looking for, would probably be best (at least second best after getting someone to do it for you). But this will seriously limit you later if you want to make changes to your site and make it more advanced. Not knowing the code combined with the messy PHP structure, you will struggle to add new functionality to the site).

Rails require quite a bit of "setup", but when you got the main structure for your site in place, you can forget about things like database queries. Rails will simply make DB data available to you like any other object. In PHP you always have to query the DB and then extract the data.
 
If you're more inclined to use PHP but want MVC and scaffolding, try cakephp.
 
As p0532673 said, CakePHP works well for your framework when building in PHP, which would be fine for an Etsy Clone.
 
So far there is nothing that i wasn't able to create with php+mysql.. That will work for you as well!
 
It seems that they do a lot of PHP + MySQL. I'd personally use Ruby on Rails or Django for web apps. The advantage of using PHP is that it's easier (and generaller more affordable) to hire offshore developers.
 
So far there is nothing that i wasn't able to create with php+mysql.. That will work for you as well!

There is nothing you can't create in Lego either if you just put enough resources into it, but it doesn't mean it's a smart choice if you want to build a new villa. :)
 
Perfect case for YII (PHP)...
 
There is nothing you can't create in Lego either if you just put enough resources into it, but it doesn't mean it's a smart choice if you want to build a new villa. :)

lol, so you are comparing PHP to Web Development languages, as you compare Lego to house building materials? Thats funny
 
lol, so you are comparing PHP to Web Development languages, as you compare Lego to house building materials? Thats funny

I'm comparing building a complicated web application in PHP with building a house in Lego. It might work, but it get sort of shaky after a while - and when you try to build a new floor a few years down the whole thing collapses...

But for a simple web app PHP is definitely a great choice. I love PHP and we develop mostly in PHP simply because most of what we develop is of a size and complexity for which it matches perfectly.
 
It might work, but it get sort of shaky after a while - and when you try to build a new floor a few years down the whole thing collapses...

Well, that refers to any programming language..

If the programmer is really talented and know exactly what he is doing, why he is doing it he can build up and build up indefinitely. Ofcourse as with any programming language he needs to know/configure/optimize and the working environment properly..

PHP is actually pretty stable and rock solid and if you build up things properly you won't be having any issues, and if ones occur they can easily be fixed up and voided for future

I can't agree on your statement that PHP is not a good solution for complicated apps

Each language has its own pros and cons, but again in the end of the day it all comes down to how properly the whole project is coded
 
<Full-Disclosure> I am a hardcore C/C++ programmer by trade, but of course I don't write my websites as compiled CGI applications. I am not a granddad! and I've been known to dabble with other languages including everything from FPGA's to the abortion known as Node.js </Full-Disclosure>

So you want to to clone Etsy?, or some other famous .COM site.

Essentially you have two choices:

1). Outsource the development - If you have money, and a good idea about exactly what you want. It makes sense to outsource it, 10 guys in working on it from India will complete it far quicker than you working on your own from your mothers basement. However you will have to invest *alot* of time making sure they are delivering exactly what you asked them - you must be very prescriptive with your specifications and design work. I have personal experience working with both near-shore and far-shore outsourcing with mixed results. If you are not particularly adept at programming and have some capital to spare - get someone else to develop it for you.

2). Build it yourself - While this is a very noble choice, you have to be very pragmatic and self-critical about your own skills. There is no point investing your time/money in a half-assed effort that fails 3 months down the line. You have to be committed, and prepared to do whatever it takes to succeed. Your use of language and words like "wondering", "could work" suggests that you are lacking some of the commitment/direction. Don't panic, this is ok, you are in unfamiliar ground and us as entrepreneurs have all been there!

I was wondering if you could suggest me a language to develop a site like etsy.com. Or even a CMS that could work.

So ikstob, what should I do?

I would persuade anyone to outsource where they can, leave a professional to do it. There is actually another reason I suggest this, in order to outsource the development you are forced to write-down what you want, and how it should work ... this is more than half the battle for any software project. Without a clear set of directions or requirements you will go nowhere, and not very fast.

Going through this process will get you thinking about your idea in a bigger scale. How will it work? How will I get people onboard? Where does the revenue come from? Who are my competitors?

9 times out of 10, your "OMG BEST IDEA EVUR" just won't stack up, you will save yourself a bunch of time and money and move on to the next thing...

But wait, what about the language I should use?

In programming circles there is a mantra, "use the right tool for the right job". While you could develop your website in x86 assembly language, Node.js, Ruby, Java, Scala or the latest fashionable language of the week. When it comes to sustainability of your project, go with the flow .. PHP frameworks like Laravel (laravel.com) have transformed the use of PHP from "lol I wouldn't touch that with yours" into an (almost) respectable language. Better yet just about everyone from Creatives, Designers through to hardcore Code Warriors have written or are at least familiar with PHP .. you will find many more developers, and cheaper.

Best of luck, keep us all posted on your progress!!
 
My suggestion is YII. YII will do 80% of the coding for you. You just need the logic.
 
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