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I am currently using a limited webhost which only allows php and it seems like it has SSI enabled, my question is, can I use strictly SSI as my server side language? To make Database calls, transfer data from one page to another, etc. The main reason I ask is because I don't want to use php as I don't know it at all and I really don't want to learn it at the moment as I have other things to work towards.

eventually I will be using a VPS so I can use Node, or something else. But for now can I use SSI as a replacement to php?

Thank you in advance.

dhershman
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    consider ssi to be one teensy extra layer on top of writing what will essentially amount to a very-old-school CGI script. it won't be pretty, it wont' be anywhere near as efficient, but it CAN do a lot (but not all) of what a full-blown PHP script can. – Marc B Dec 15 '14 at 14:47
  • I see, so it is possible but not nearly as efficient. – dhershman Dec 15 '14 at 14:49
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    I wouldn't worry about that as much as the good chance that you'll get through 80% of development before realizing that some fundamental SSI limit is blocking you from what you need to do. – Mike DeSimone Dec 15 '14 at 15:15

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Probably not for everything. You might be able to push a bunch of the complex stuff that the SSI can't handle over to the database, but it'll be hard to maintain.

A more specific answer would require knowledge of what you were trying to do and what your SSI's capabilities are.

Mike DeSimone
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  • my SSI knowledge is not advanced but I know more of it and how it works than anything in php, my site is a simple indie team site for my small development team, it won't need to handle a lot of server side anything besides contact us information, probably a bug report system (which may go through php since I can install a software for that which works automatically), maybe login data, but mainly for page - to - page information transfer for forms, sign ups, etc. – dhershman Dec 15 '14 at 14:52