Talk:Server-side scripting

ASP is not a scripting language, it is a framework. ASP can be used with VBScript, JScript or even Python. guaka 20:41 5 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Clarification / Rephrasing requests

>> "Server Side Scripting was invented in early 1995 by Fred DuFresne while developing the first web site for Boston, MA television station WCVB." (under "History") >> What does it mean? Is it his first website? or "Boston, MA television station"'s first website? or the first website ever to be created? Please rephrase it.. parthi 08:15, 09 March 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.234.153.138 (talk)

I can't tell if I am not parsing this sentence the way it was intended, or if it's making a reference I'm not familiar with, or what... but can someone who understands what this passage is trying to say, please rewrite or clarify it: "...mnemonic coding and the results [were] simply served back..." [Referring to the current page as of this signature timestamp: DKEdwards 05:05, 22 May 2007 (UTC)]

MARIA JOSE BALDERREIN — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.48.3.48 (talk) 10:13, 11 December 2014 (UTC)

a bit inaccurate

I feel that more appropriate title for this would be 'web programming' as the article outlines technologies usually associated with building web applications using the process of web programming. Although server-side scripting IS web programming, it is more common to refer to this as web programming. Also, some of the technologies mentioned are just server-side, not scripting languages (CGI for example, ASP.NET is also compiled). So I suggest one of the following:
a) whole thing moves to a new 'web programming' page.
b) the article gets trimmed to just a specifics of server-side scripting.

I would suggest the latter, if only for the sake of keeping this title as a parallel to client-side scripting.

As for the question of using the word "scripting", it's my experience that even when languages not considered "scripting languages" are used in this context, it's still referred to as "server-side scripting" because the program is still a "script" in the sense of being a program that responds to a certain event. We should probably be clear about this in the article, though. —Triskaideka 14:45, 20 Aug 2004 (UTC)

It appears "b" has been adopted from my perspective. Being involved with WebDNA, this is a relevant term to describe the list of languages posted in my opinion. Donovanbrooke (talk) 07:04, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

I agree, it should be moved to "web programming". Keeping it as "server-side scripting" is just reinforcing a falsehood (ie, that this Article is about scripting rather than just programming) Sjbrown (talk) 19:02, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

---

To mention some history, Tcl was one of the first big scripting languages used for serious work, in the form of AOLserver and Storyserver. They didn't open source them soon enough, though, and so they faded from the spotlight.

definitely inaccurate

I agree that this is more "Web programming" than "server-side scripting". However, I disagree with the statement 'server-side scripting IS web programming'. Server-side scripting is a tool or technique that can be used many ways - Web programming is just one of them.

Server-side scripting adds dynamic behaviours to a server, and can increase the power and flexibility of an otherwise "static" server implementation. For instance, defining rules for workflow, orchestrating multiple operations for a user of the system, or even defining dynamic filters and criteria for data access.

---

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Tonyproctor (talk • contribs) 15:11, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

Request: history section

I think this article would benefit hugely from a history section, with dates and influences. For example, I think that PHP predates ASP by a year or two, but was PHP well-enough known to influence ASP, or were they parallel developments? Was ColdFusion many an outgrowth of SSI, or something different? David 22:17, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Too many languages

I think that the list of languages should be limited strictly to server-side scripting -- that is, languages that allow scripts to be embedded in web pages. Any programming language can be used through CGI or a web-server module to generate content, so including languages like Python or Java makes the criteria so broad that it's essentially useless. David 11:14, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Done — removed general languages and added a note. David 12:27, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

All languages theoretically allow scripts to be embedded, what is required is a webserver (or a webserver extension, module, etc.) that can recognize when to invoke the language on the server side. 108.14.125.186 (talk) 20:20, 2 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm confused?

As someone who isn't 'technology literate' I don't understand if the listed devices are servers themselves or devices used to edit other people's websites?

82.20.61.228 18:57, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Um...

Why isn't ANSI C on here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.45.44.113 (talk) 05:32, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

list of languages, general errors

there are some problems with the list of languages.

• it's incomplete and the selections are seemingly random, missing a lot of unix shell scripting languages, common lisp, c++, pascal, many others.
• common file extensions aren't very relevant in determining the probable language of a program, especially one executed server-side

also,

Server-side scripting is usually used to provide an interface and to limit client access to proprietary databases or other data sources.

this either needs a citation or isn't true. that a server-side script appears as markup in a web client is a side-effect of generating the program/page on the server's side: the function evaluates down to a result that is html or something else client-side. it isn't a question of motivation, especially being protecting proprietary source, it is simply that a program executed on a server returns to the web browser only the results of the function and not the function itself.

this entire dynamic web section seems to have a lot of problems, i think a team should be assembled to improve upon it.

Harlequence (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:46, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

Many of the listed "languages" are actually frameworks or libraries

ASP.NET, for example, is one part of Microsoft's .NET framework and probably shouldn't be listed as a language. VBScript, the most common language used for ASP.NET projects, might be a suitable replacement. Other items on the list are too obscure or irrelevant, as others have stated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.22.49.71 (talk) 05:34, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Server-side rendering and Server-side generation

Those should be separated articles (they are redirects now). If someone want to extend those sections feel free to do so. I can help when I have time. Sorry that I didn't do that, but I'm not that active on EN wiki (I'm mostly contributing to pl.wiki) and I don't have that much free time. I just wanted to have something on those topics on Wikipedia. jcubic (talk) 21:23, 3 March 2022 (UTC)