Using Java in backend of a web application & php in the middleware

I am looking forward to developing a social web application using Java in backend (to support operations from Cassandra database) & php in the middleware. Is this kind of approach beneficial ? Any downsides of the above strategy ?

Are there other better options to 开发者_JS百科ensure a scalable architecture ?

Edit : What do you guys think about doing it completely in JAVA (J2EE)?

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Mixing PHP and Java does a few things:

1. You lose the benefit of the tight integration between PHP and MySQL, as Java will fit in the middle (with probably lots of complex spaghetti code).
2. You introduce a complex Controller layer between the PHP View and the Java Model, which could be easily handled by leveraging open source MVC projects such as Spring MVC or Struts 2.
3. You create a larger barrier for new developers who are introduced to the code, since they will have to learn both programming languages.

I, personally, advocate the Struts 2 MVC architecture, with Spring integration to handle your data access using Hibernate or IBatis, or to whatever service/backend you may be connecting your model layer to.

If you are tied to PHP, I would suggest sticking with pure PHP and MySQL, since you have an entire community to help with troubleshooting, support, and technical help when you are looking for other developers to join the project.

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The downside is having multiple programming technologies for a product that, from the way you described it, hasn't even started yet when a single one could fit the bill for the time being until you completely define how the program is going to evolve and change. How you think things are going to turn out today it not how they will turn out when the project is finished. By creating a tiered / multi faceted program runtime environment, you will be creating a debugging, scaling, and development nightmare. Get off the ground and then redefine your requirements to see if these massively complex structures are needed.

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I generally think it's a good approach if you can manage the added complexity. The benefits are:

• PHP development is much more productive and easier to learn than Java development
• PHP, in my experience, is often better fit for web requirements
• You still have all the power of Java in your backend
• It's the way Facebook does it: (even though they have "pimped" their PHP http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/358) front-End-> PHP, backend-> some other language:http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/354

Then again as Geoffrey Wagner pointed out, it adds a lot of complexity and you should be very sure you need this kind of setup.