A recent project found us integrating an online SaaS with a MSSQL Order Entry system. The SaaS system used the hideous SOAP protocol, but PHP’s SoapClient class made quick work of that.
“Unless you have a definitive reason to use SOAP use REST.”
The order entry system followed Microsoft’s version of the development bible and operated by calling dozens of stored procedures, sometimes many times (reduntantly) over again, with each click. Yet a call out to xp_cmdshell allowed us to exit that limited platform. Finally, speed, was impressive! On modern machinery PHP’s optimized and ultra thin C++ engine is a rocket ship.
So despite the completely unorthodox strategy our client has again had their expectations exceeded. Once the code for their custom interface was moved to a PHP script all scope creep was easily conquered without any threat to the timeline nor any increase in cost. Win/Win/Win (The client/The developer/PHP).