What’s Apache, Perl, MySQL? Will I need to know these for my clients?
February 10, 2006
I recently had this question put to me, and I thought it would make an interesting blog post:
"What’s Apache, Perl, MySQL? As a web designer, will I need to know these for my clients?"
Apache, Perl, MySQL
Apache = a web server. The most popular (in terms of use) in the world. If your host is on Linux, they are running Apache.
You don’t need to know much about Apache as a web designer, since your hosting company will configure that all for you.
–
Perl = a programming language used a lot on Linux servers. It can be used to do all kinds of things but it is mostly known for its legacy as the programming language used to write CGI scripts – think guestbooks etc …
You don’t need to know much about Perl as a web designer. But Perl is still widely used and you will find that many scripts out there (like guest books,) are created with Perl.
–
MySQL = is a database program. Database software like MySQL are used to store information. Used a lot with things like message boards, e-commerce shops and other programs like that. MySQL is often used with PHP (a programming language) to create database driven websites.
MySQL becomes important to learn IF you want to learn how to create dynamic/database driven websites.
A final point:
There is so much (out there) in the web design world, that you will probably never need to know or use. I can tell you from 12 years experience, that nobody knows everything – there is just too much.
My advice is to concentrate on what you need NOW and to continue to work on basic skills … let the projects that come up dictate what you’ll learn.
