programming shopping carts -- asp.NET or PHP?

[JayM]

Hey,
I need to buy a book so that I can learn how to create shopping carts and integrate them with VeriSign. I was wondering which programming language is better? asp.NET or PHP? I have a programming background and I'm a very quick learner when it comes to programming so difficulty of language is not a factor. I'm just wondering as to which one is better, more used, etc etc.
Please give me a informative response rather than just saying "go with asp. php sucks."

Regards,
Jay

[russell]

Since you have a programming background, the main consideration should be what language you are most comfortable with. Both are up to the task, but if you don't have a copy of .net, it will cost you a bit more. If you have a C or Perl background, PHP will likely be your choice. Otherwise, you may ramp up quicker with .Net. There are other choices too -- if you are a Java programmer, think about JSP.

If the site is to be hosted, consider the features vs. price of several hosting companies that support the various programming languages you are considering. Database support (and it needs to be better than ms access) is going to be a critical feature. If you favor MS SQL, then you should probably lean toward .net. If you prefer MySQL, then PHP.

To sum up, go with features vs price. PHP and .Net are excellent choices.

[JayM]

Great. That was very helpful. I'm not familiar with C, but I am familiar with C++. I assume they're close enough. Thanks.