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What is multiple domain hosting? First I would like to clarify exactly what a domain is. A domain (or domain name) is basically the part of the URL (the thing you type in a web browser to get to a website) which begins just prior to the .com (or .net, .org, etc.) and also includes the .com (or .net, .org, etc.) . For example, in the URL http://www.google.com, google.com is the domain. In the URL http://store.cooltshirts.net, cooltshirts.net is the domain name.

When you use a web hosting provider to host your website, you generally sign up using your main domain name. You can then use an online control panel to manage your domain - upload files, setup logging, check stats, set permissions, databases, etc… With Multiple domain web hosting, the web hosting service provider allows a user to add multiple and separate domains, each pointing to a different physical website directory, within one account. This should not be confused with multiple subdomain hosting which is the ability to create multiple subdomains for the same domain. For example, forum.mydomain.com, store.mydomain.com, and support.mydomain.com all use separate subdomains to organize different topics from the same domain. Although many web hosts also allow multiple subdomains, this is not what this article is about. Multiple domain web domain hosting also should not be confused with using multiple domains to point to the same website, also known as domain forwarding.

Multiple domain hosting is intended for people or businesses with multiple domains and websites, and is a convenient and cost effective way to host them. Some (very few) web hosting services have taken it to the next level and allow you to host unlimited websites, also known as unlimited domain hosting. With domain names being so inexpensive, many people have many different domains/websites and need the ability to host them all inexpensively as well. With unlimited hosting, you don’t have to worry about reaching a potential maximum domain limit.

If you are one of the many people, who have the need to host multiple or even unlimited domains, we urge you to take a look at HostMonster. Not only do they offer unlimited domain hosting, but they also allow unlimited storage space, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited emails at a very reasonable price. If you want more information, you can find our full review of HostMonster here.

I’ve recently been looking into PHP frameworks. For you PHP programmers with complex websites, I highly recommend that you consider using one of these. A framework greatly speeds up web development and simplifies management. It is essentially an interface to PHP which wraps many common tasks such as database reads\writes, form handling, sessions handling, etc.. into higher level, simpler programming. It also allows you to separate your code from the user interface, allowing you to change appearances and layouts of your website without modifying the logic in your web application. A famework drastically simplifies and organizes development. There is a slight learning curve when using a framework, but it’s worth it. Also, because there is another layer of processing, there is a slight performance hit, but again, it is usually worth it.

There are many PHP frameworks out there with the most popular being Zend and CakePHP. Most are free. There are many sites out there outlining and charting the features and benefits of each, but it appears that overall, CakePHP is the best.

Most frameworks use a concept called MVC (Model, View, Controller) which essentially logically organizes all parts of the web application. Models define the objects - users, products, widgets, etc… Views define all visual (UI) aspects - tables, header, footer, charts, graphics, etc… And finally, Controllers define the application logic - loading data into the objects, and what the objects do.

Bottom line, if your website uses a database and processes form data, you will probably greatly benefit from using a PHP framework. Check em out!

And of course, if you need a web host, be sure to check out our Web Hosting Service Review site.

Hostmonster now hosts over 350,000 domains. They remain to be our top choice for the web hosting category.

You can find more info here