Client Side Programming Lanuages VS. Server Side Programming Languages

[Coffey7]

I know that PHP, Ruby on Rails & ASP.NET are server side programming languages.

I also know that JavaScript is a Client side programming language.

However I am trying to understand why each of things are?

Can anyone explain? Thanks.

 

[kanewolf]

Where does the source code reside? PHP for example the code is resident on the server side of the HTML interface. JavaScript the code is transferred to the client as part of the HTML for execution.

 

[Coffey7]

Is this always the case?

And why? Is it because the JS code is compiled on the web brower ... which is on your computer?


Or is it because PHP & Rails are data-base languages and thus need big servers to hold all that data?


Or is it something else I am not grasping?


Thanks... I am just trying to *REALLY* learn, not just read this textbook, take it at it's word and move on.

 

[Coffey7]

And Thanks for your help on these entry level questions.

 

[kanewolf]

Server side code allows the implementation to be hidden from the client. That "hidden" implementation might be a database access or some other resource you don't want directly exposed to the public.

 

[Coffey7]

Okay... that makes sense. thanks.