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Server side languages and multi-tier architecture

Short answer

Three server-side languages are PHP, embedded in HTML and paired with MySQL; JSP/Java Servlets, compiled and run in containers like Tomcat; and ASP.NET, Microsoft's compiled framework on IIS. Multi-tier architecture separates presentation, application logic, and data tiers, improving maintenance, scalability, and security.

Explain any three server side scripting language used in web? Explain multi-tier architecture.

Three server-side scripting languages

  1. PHP: An open-source scripting language embedded in HTML and executed by the server. It works well with MySQL, is easy to learn and runs on Apache/Nginx. Used by WordPress and Laravel.
<?php echo "Hello, " . $_GET['name']; ?>
  1. JSP / Java Servlets: Java-based. JSP pages are compiled into servlets and run in a container such as Tomcat. They are platform independent, secure and suitable for large enterprise applications.
  2. ASP.NET (C#): Microsoft's framework, usually run on IIS, with strong tool support (Visual Studio), compiled code and built-in security and session management.

Others: Python (Django/Flask), Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Perl.

Multi-tier architecture

A multi-tier (n-tier) architecture divides an application into separate logical (and often physical) layers, each with its own responsibility. A tier talks only to the adjacent tier.

+-----------------------------+
| Presentation tier (Browser) |  UI, HTML/CSS/JS
+--------------+--------------+
               |
+--------------v--------------+
| Application / Logic tier    |  PHP, Servlets, rules
+--------------+--------------+
               |
+--------------v--------------+
| Data tier (Database)        |  MySQL, Oracle
+-----------------------------+
  • Presentation tier: Shows information and collects user input.
  • Application (business) tier: Processes requests, applies rules, handles sessions and security.
  • Data tier: Stores and retrieves data.

Advantages: Easier maintenance (change one tier without affecting the others), better scalability (run tiers on different servers), higher security (database hidden from users), code reuse, and parallel development by separate teams. Disadvantage: more complexity and some communication overhead.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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