i know only a little bit of web programming and want to experiment a bit on my own local server. i was taught some simple php but my friend advised against it, stating it has many vulnerabilities and is a pain to use. however, it's the only language i'm familiar with. are there any pitfalls related to php is should worry about prior to setting up a server and running scripts on it?

>>106169114 (OP)
Do your thing, don't listen to your friend.

>>106169284
aight. ill start small with just a music chart maker, then maybe set up an imageboard.

>>106169114 (OP)
don't install php on your server. it'll produce nerve gas and kill your mother in her sleep.

>>106169114 (OP)
any particular reason for php? vulnerabilities is a matter of updating and doing stuff like input sanitation. but yeah language itself is pretty shit. fun fact, facebook was writtin in php. otther alternative is ruby on rails, I recall like 20 years ago there was lots of hype around it, lots of companies that still use it to this day if you thinking about getting a job. still, there is also lots of work around php, wordpress and other frameworks.

>>106170081
it's just the one i learned have a modicum of sensibility or intuition with doing stuff in it. i figured relearning another language wouldn't be productive compared to focusing on at least completing a couple projects first. then maybe i'd look into what's currently the status quo with web development, which i assume is something along the lines of javascript, react, or w/e. i also learned some js but i haven't done much with it either outside of ajax to prevent the need to update the whole page i believe.

>>106169114 (OP)
Modern PHP is generally fine, and the whole "le PHP is le epic fail" is mostly redditors around water coolers. It's probably the most widely supported if you just go with any old server hosting if you decide to move it off your own local server and onto the internet. But it really just depends on your use case. A lot of people are using Go these days for servers so might be worth checking it out.

>>106169114 (OP)
There is literally nothing wrong with PHP. The "PHP bad" mob mentality is like 10 years out of date as many improvements have been made to the language. Easy to learn, feature rich, OOP support, strict type emulation. Decent first language, especially if you intend to do server shit.

If I had to pick a best language to learn first though, I would honestly say Google Apps Script with Google Sheets. It gives you a concrete, visible sandbox that your code will be manipulating (instead of coding into an black void). That sandbox also translates into code and arrays very well. Easy to play around with due to dynamic typing. Able to have simple concrete goals to start out with, especially if you have a wagie job where you use Sheets. Gentle introduction to object interfaces and APIs. And it's built on top of Javascript, which lets you jump off into any project that has a Javascript runtime environment once you get your feet wet.

>>106169114 (OP)
For server stuff Go is your best bet. I'ts easier, the syntax is better, less boilerplate and more on rails than php.

>>106169114 (OP)
Use Python + Flask

php is a 30 year old language that wont die because the community around it is constantly forcing it to do things it was never meant to. its better to start with languages that were built with good design/practices by default rather than having to catch up on decades of bandaid fixes and other garbage.

>>106169114 (OP)
PHP is not the problem, shitty developers are the problem. Download the latest version of PHP and you'll be fine. Now... do not develop shitty code.

>>106171144
Like what?

If you say node.js, python, go or typeshit just kill yourself.