I’ve been reading a lot about ASP.Net (with C#) recently. I want to learn to use ASP.Net proficiently so that I can add it to my web “toolkit” (development languages I’m familiar with). A major downside to learning a new language is that as you consistently practice the new, it seems that you lose your grasp on what was once familiar - the old.

Fortunately, PHP and C# aren’t too different (not as dissimilar as PHP and VB anyway). But, ASP.Net itself (regardless of which language you use with it; VB or C#) is a component and event based framework, requiring certain rules and components to tie the back-end to the front-end (generally speaking). PHP, on the other hand, is not built this way; most PHP code is written inline. So when switching back-and-forth between developing in ASP.Net and PHP (or any multitude of languages), there are unique approaches that are required in accomplishing the same tasks. Obviously, this can become very confusing.

To get to the point: last week, I happened to come across the Prado PHP Framework. My first thought was, “Oh, another PHP framework”, but then I took a closer look at the syntax and the page rendering model. As I looked through the tutorials and documentation, it dawned on me that by using Prado I wouldn’t have to worry about using different approaches to server-side development. I could use the same model with ASP.Net and with PHP.

I immediately became excited at the possibilities. How simple would it be to develop and application in one language and port it to the other? If you’re already using the same model, all you would be switching is the “engine”. Anyway, before I digress too much (this post is already exceedingly lengthy) and ramble forever I’ll conclude with this: If you’re a PHP developer and interested in ASP.Net, or if you’re an ASP.Net developer interested in PHP, Prado is the way to go. Check it out at www.pradosoft.com.