[Biophp-dev] mmCIF and Zend compiler

[biophp-dev@bioinformatics.org]

> >My web surfing showed that ZEND( part of PHP ) can >make calls to C
> programs like CIFLIB but the may need >to be recompiled with ZEND stuff.

I think you refer to the ability to extend the php language with your own 
(c) code (http://www.php.net/manual/en/zend.php).  Disadvantage of doing
this is that everyone who wants to use these extensions will have to
recompile php (admitted, php is one of the easiest compiles I have
encountered, but this does not seem like a good idea for a bioinformatics 
library).


> There are criticisms of PHP being unsuitable for
> computationally-intensive tasks because it is an interpreted
> language.  Do you think the Zend 
> compiler is the answer to this?  Does it produce
> code whose speed is comparable to that produced 
> by a C/C++ compiler?

Yes, since it is code produces by a C compiler.  

B.t.w.  there is a nice (and free) accelerator for php available
(www.php-accelerator.co.uk/).  It caches (compiled) php code on disk and
in RAM. I have it installed on our server and it works flawlessly.

Best,

Nico