PHP vs. JSP

[sde]

This question goes out to anyone who has spent a significant amount of time developing with both PHP and JSP.

If you were to build the same web app with PHP and JSP, how would the development process compare in terms of time, ease, and deployment?

[kaeli69]

It depends on the nature of the project, to be honest.
Also the money the client is willing to spend on development tools, assuming you don't already have them. PHP requires nothing special - even the language is easy to pick up for anyone who has done any programming. JSP requires an intimate knowledge of java, a good java IDE, and so on. For simple things, I'll always choose PHP. For complicated things where I want to reuse classes, make custom tags, worry about threading, and so on, JSP wins hands-down.

As for deployment, PHP requires a server and someone to add in the PHP engine. JSP has to worry about a java container like tomcat, someone has to keep up with the JVM versions, and so on.
PHP is simple, easy, and powerful enough for most applications. JSP is robust, a pain in the ass, powerful, scalable, multi-tiered (doesn't have to be, but can be), and excellent for large B2B apps.
I'd never want to do a banking or financial site in PHP. I'd never make a simple blog or calendar app with JSP.

YMMV, of course.

[sde]

very well put .. thanks a lot!