Hosting/PHP

rocky raccoon

I am looking at hosting options and I had a question. If I include a contact form on a website using code and a PHP file obtained from the net do I need a particular type of hosting?

I have tried to do this a couple of times unsuccessfully.

Am I likely to run into the same kind of problems if I set up a blog using a basic hosting package?

aidan_walsh

You'll need a host that supports PHP, and a depending on the file you use possibly an understanding of PHP to be able to modify the file to suit your hosts database or email requirements.

Most hosts basic packages include PHP, so shop around and find the best looking deal for yourself.

rocky raccoon

Thanks for that. Below is the link to the site I was getting the PHP from with the instructions to customise it. As for the blog, I came across a website somewhere that suggested Wordpress. I'm not sure if there is a charge or if it's free. The PHP compatible hosting is twice the price of the standard package.
http://www.thesitewizard.com/wizards/feedbackform.shtml

Fanny Cradock

Wordpress is free. It comes in two flavours.

wordpress.com is hosted by Wordpress on their servers. It's very handy for simple blogs as you are constrained by what you can and can not do.

wordpress.org is installed and hosted on your own server space. You can customise themes, buy them create your own and add widgets and whatnot to beat the band.

On another note, I'm not sure why PHP compatibility would cost a cent more (it's generally standard, AFAIK).

Trojan

PHP costs more probably because some companies want to artificially create a lower priced entry level hosting package, and nothing wrong with doing that - you have to distinguish between different products.

rocky raccoon

So Fanny, if I use WordPress would I even need a hosting package with PHP compatibility and use a basic hosting package? It sounds like I may be able to.

Liam Byrne

rocky raccoon wrote: »

The PHP compatible hosting is twice the price of the standard package.

Very, very rare for this to be the case.

I'm wary of mentioning names of hosting companies because it might seem like a recommendation (against the charter) but most of the main hosting companies include PHP for free at an entry-price of €3 to €5 per month.

If it's a business site then I wouldn't go using the link to wordpress.org idea; the responsiveness of your site depends on how frequently it is updated, and if you are updating someone else's "site" (i.e. wordpress.org) then you'll get no benefit from it.

Fanny Cradock

rocky raccoon wrote: »

So Fanny, if I use WordPress would I even need a hosting package with PHP compatibility and use a basic hosting package? It sounds like I may be able to.

You'll need a package that supports PHP to use WP. As Liam said, most of the major companies include PHP support in their basic package. So for about €50 a year the PHP issue becomes irrelevant.

rocky raccoon

Thanks for that. The hosting company that I emailed last week advised me that their €40 package would do what I needed it to and weren't trying to sell me a package I didn't need.

mneylon

PHP is pretty much standard with commercial hosting plans these days.
What you *might* find in some cases is that database support isn't included in some entry level plans.
If you want to run Wordpress or any other blog software then you'll need a hosting plan that comes with PHP and MySQL.

If you only need to put up a single contact form on an otherwise static website then you won't need the database support ..

Word of warning though - be careful where you download PHP scripts from. Some sites offer scripts that are great in theory, but are very old and full of security holes, so be careful

stesh

Surely this thread should be closed immediately. In the past I have had threads closed without explanation as soon as any mention of hosting providers entered the conversation.

Fanny Cradock

You should use the report function.

Trojan

stesh wrote: »

Surely this thread should be closed immediately. In the past I have had threads closed without explanation as soon as any mention of hosting providers entered the conversation.

The issue with discussing hosting on boards is more about preventing the recommendation of Company X vs Company Y (and the subsequent mud-slinging), rather than preventing a technical discussion of different hosting technologies. I know that discussing their availability is starting to get into grey areas, but if we can keep the conversation toward the latter end of the spectrum then it should be ok.

Unregistered.

Is there a reason why my post was deleted?

aidan_walsh

Unregistered. wrote: »

Is there a reason why my post was deleted?

Discussing hosting provider packages, and continuing other, also deleted discussion. The rules on hosting provider discussion still stand.

Unregistered.

Im lost as to why that rule exists, is there a thread somewhere that would elaborate?

aidan_walsh

Well, this has been around since 2008...

Unregistered.

What nonsense. How do you get away with that.

Gordon

Unregistered. wrote: »

What nonsense. How do you get away with that.

What do you mean?

Unregistered.

Not allowing people to discuss or voice their opinions on hosting providers. Im quite surprised that people put up with it to be honest.

aidan_walsh

Personally I would take it to mean that people are happy to discuss design without necessarily discussing hosting.

But now we're just going well off the topic at hand, so if we could try to get the train back on the rails.

Unregistered.

Ok.

OP you need hosting with support for PHP. All providers can, er, provide this but some - Digiweb for example - have a basic starter package without PHP etc so be sure to check what you are getting before signing up to any packages.