This is one of the most puzzling questions for companies for their next web application development project. In this article, we try to find the answer to this question elaborately.
This is a broad term used for work in developing websites for the Internet or intranets. This includes web design, web content development, network security configuration, etc.
To develop our website requires a programming language. The two most prominent programming languages that are today used for web development are Python & PHP. In the following section, we will discuss two programming languages and will also try to find out how Python is better than PHP.
PHP (Hypertext Pre-processor)
It is a scripting language developed for web apps development that is used to build interactive and dynamic HTML web pages; it is also used as a general-purpose programming language.
The full form of PHP is the personal home page, but it is now known as a hypertext preprocessor. It is a web scripting language embedded in HTML; which means that PHP development code can be seamlessly inserted into the HTML of a web page.
It is the fastest source for creating dynamic websites enabled for databases. PHP is compatible with leading web and business servers such as Apache, Netscape, Microsoft IIS, etc. And it also works on operating systems such as Linux, Windows, UNIX, and Mac OS.
Key PHP features include:
Open Source
This is open-source programming, which means you don’t have to pay to use it. You can download for free and use the PHP language.
Simple
Very easy to use compared to other scripting languages. This is very simple and easy and is widely used throughout the world.
Interpreted
There is no need for compilation because it is an interpreted language.
Independent Platform
It is a platform-independent language because PHP code can be run on all platforms such as Linux, UNIX, Mac OS X, Windows, and so on.
Speed
It is comparatively faster than another scripting language because it uses a lot of system resources.
Error Reporting
PHP has a function to generate a warning or error message so that one can easily find the errors and can solve them in time.
PYTHON
Python is a high-level programming language used for general-purpose programming, designed by Guido van Rossum. Python code has a natural style that makes it easy to read and understand.
Key features for using Python include:
Friendly for beginners
It is a friendly language for beginners because it is easy to understand and fun to use. That is one of the reasons why Python has gained popularity to be a friendly language for beginners.
High-level language
As it is a high-level programming language, when using Python, you do not need to worry about low-level details, such as managing the memory used by the program.
Shortcode
Another advantage of python language is that the coding is shorter than other programming languages.
Remove Syntax
Python does not consist of curly braces; this has a very clear, concise, and orthogonal syntax.
Object-Oriented
Python also supports procedure-oriented and project-oriented programming. It has a compelling but easy way to do object-oriented programming compared to other programming languages.
PHP VS Python – Comparison
Easy Learning
Python is the simpler of the two to learn. It is a language of integral programming and can get to master it quite quickly. Python is such fast learning that it is the preferred option for most entry-level programming courses.
PHP has problems in comparison because it was created with web applications in mind, and these tend to have a higher level of complexity than programs that only have to run on a device. That’s why PHP is more complicated and therefore, more challenging to learn.
Community Support
Python and PHP both offer excellent community support. PHP has been around longer in the web application arena, so now many experienced developers are ready and waiting to offer their suggestions and insights.
Python may be newer, but also has a very active and knowledgeable developer community, so they are developing new Python applications at all times. This means that Python VS PHP questions see them fairly evenly here.
Large websites like YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest use Python-based web applications, but the Facebook back-end is built in PHP, so it’s clear to see that both of them are capable of delivering world-class results.
Performance
The PHP 5.x version tends to be interesting, but PHP 7.x is a real flyer compared to the average Python program, chewing tasks up to 3 times faster. Speed is often an essential factor in applications that are critical of performance, and any difference can add a big difference in performance when you process millions of clicks a day for a bank.
Now, let’s see some reasons why we would prefer to use Python over PHP
- If we talk about the readability of both languages, PHP cannot be maintained much compared to Python.
- Python has more security features compared to PHP.
- In PHP, functional programming is not provided, but in Python, functional programming and techniques are possible.
- PHP has been designed for “web development” language, while Python has been designed as a “general purpose” language.
Final Rundown
So, in conclusion, these two languages offer similar performance and features, but Python looks to be a better choice overall. This does not mean that all experienced PHP programmers need to convert to Python, but for those who have not used it all this time or those that have just started, it might be a good idea to upgrade to Python.
Its ease of use and efficiency means that it seems to be the dominant force in developing the back-end, and that means the entrepreneur will expect it. Anyone who is looking for long life in their development careers should consider learning Python.
Note: This is the updated version of the article posted earlier. You can read that article here: https://lonestarphp.com/php-vs-python-which-is-better/