The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5) - Some Thoughts on FogBUGZ for UNIX

Some Thoughts on FogBUGZ for UNIX

First of all, congratulations for Joel for shipping the new port of FogBUGZ for LAMP. Installing an IIS/ASP/Access server was probably something many shops with UNIX-bigots as admins would not have found likable, and this may introduce an extra profit.

I contemplated in an early post to this list whether the ASP->PHP converter that a certain summer internet wrote was meant to convert to FogBUGZ to PHP. Still, no clear indication that that was the case was voiced by Joel at any time, in accordance with one of his articles.

Now, for some questions. Are both versions of the software going to be maintained from now on? (The ASP version and the LAMP one) PHP can run nicely enough with IIS (faster than ASP, even), but many clueless admins may not know enough to install it there. Maintaining two versions of the software in two different languages is relatively painful. If Joel et al are going to maintain the ASP version and every once and a while convert it to PHP, that may work. (don't know - never tried)

Another issue is cross-database compatibility. Databases varry a great deal between themselves, and so far the two versions of FogBUGZ support MySQL, Access and MS-SQL between themselves. How is the compatibility maintained? Using if's all over the place? By sticking to the greatest common denominator? It is also very painful.

Anyway, congrats and keep the good work!

Shlomi Fish
Saturday, December 27, 2003

Installing PHP in an IIS shop means one more thing to track vulnerabilities on:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=php+vulnerability

This is not an anti-PHP post; just a comment on "it is NEVER as easy as 'just install [x]'"

Philo

Philo
Saturday, December 27, 2003

Joel has pointed out that the PHP version is made mechanically via an ASP to PHP tool developed by a summer intern. I imagine that as time goes on and the ASP version progresses, additional work may need to done to the conversion tool, but I imagine that's less time than maintaining two code-bases.

Brad Wilson (dotnetguy.techieswithcats.com)
Saturday, December 27, 2003

Right. In theory we only maintain the ASP version and the PHP version is produced mechanically. I wouldn't try to tell a Windows admin to install PHP, especially since the whole reason for the port was to REDUCE external dependencies.

Joel Spolsky
Saturday, December 27, 2003