A scripting language is an interpreted language that is run on the Unix shell or as a web page under a popular webserver such as Apache. Scripting languages have been very popular over the years as a way to create a simple tool to administer a server or to run a dynamic website.
- Javascript
- Perl
- PHP
- Python
- Ruby
- Shell
PHP is among the most popular of the scripting languages. It provides one of the largest base libraries for working on a Unix system. The number of functions supported dwarfs the number of functions available for Active Server Pages.
Ruby is an up-and-coming scripting language which was just developed recently. Even though it is the new kid on the block, it is finding acceptance all around the world. You should first learn Python if you are interested in learning Ruby since the two languages are so similar.