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Python And PHP Development: A Comparison

PHP Development

The start of the development of this programming tool can be attributed to 1994 when Rasmus Lerdorf created a number of components and extensions that extended the capabilities of the most popular C language. Initially, the components were created in order to facilitate the management of Rasmus’s own website. However, other developers quickly appreciated the new features of those components and began to actively implement them. As a result of the constant use and extension of PHP, and the emergence and growth of the community, the new language has become not just popular: over 80% of modern websites are based on it. PHP development is constantly evolving and complemented by the developer team and members of a large user community together. We can safely say that PHP development is at its peak now and it is still very early to talk about the decline in its popularity.

Python Development

Five years older than its competitor, Python was developed by Guido van Rossum back in 1989 as the ABC language replacement. The main popularity among developers of Python got in the 2000s, after the release of Python 2.0, one of the main features of which was complete Unicode support.

Unlike PHP, Python from the start was engineered as a full-stack programming language, irrelative to web development. That’s why it’s not so popular on the web – today less than 1% of websites are created and managed using Python.

Python And PHP: What Is Common Between Them?

At first glance, it may seem flawed to compare the two languages originally created for different purposes. However, seemingly different, PHP and Python have a number of common properties that make them popular:

Both languages are easy to learn (compared to C++, Perl, and others).
Both languages are accompanied by extensive and detailed documentation.
Both languages are open source and can be updated and advanced by users
With the Purpose of Improvement
Wide and Friendly Developer Communities Facilitate the Process of Learning and Working with Php and Python.
Portability and Versatility: Both Languages Have Id Es for All the Major Operating Systems.

And What Are the Major Differences?

Naturally, when choosing a language for development, its distinguishing features are the first thing that should be considered.

Orientation

The first and most important difference between PHP development and python is their orientation. Python is aspect-oriented (separates the program functionality and splits the program into separate modules), while PHP is object-oriented (encapsulates code modules that contain certain functions and data into objects).

Thus, working with python, the developer creates separate functional modules and then registers the connections between them on an “if-then” basis. It results in an algorithm that executes this or that programming block based on the user’s actions.

Working with PHP means creating an integral code object that has certain properties and executes certain actions depending on the user input.

Syntax

The syntax of a language is constituted by its fundamental “grammatical” rules. The main difference between various languages, be they spoken or programmed, lies in syntax, and the process of learning a language is by most the study of its grammar.

Php’s syntax is almost the same as the syntax of c (due to its origins). When writing the code using this language, curly brackets, additional characters and operators, and other c elements are used. A nice moment in working with PHP is the neglect of white spaces during the compilation, which brings additional usability and gives the ability to structure the code into simple logical components. An unpleasant feature of PHP is the incompatibility of the namespace conventions, which is why many developers do not perceive it as a full-fledged programming language. However, this feature is primarily due to the fact that the language initially was designed for website management.

The syntax of python, on the contrary, is based on the separation of the code with spaces and tabs, which significantly speeds up the process of coding, but increases the possibility of careless errors. Considering python, it’s also worth noting the simplicity of commands. In fact, most of the commands in this language are similar to the corresponding words in natural English, which makes it much easier to learn.

The List of Secondary Php and Python Differences Is as Follows:

Python is considered a more flexible programming language, while PHP is tightly regulated.
Python uses special packages to load additional libraries, while PHP requires loading them manually.
Unlike PHP, where assuring software security requires additional tools, applications written in python are considered among the safest.
Although python supports a graphical user interface and can be used in web development, PHP, originally created to support web applications, is more applicable in this area.

Php vs Python: What to Choose?

For years, debates have been going on about which of the languages is more user-friendly and most applicable to various tasks: PHP or python. Despite the many differences between these tools, which consist of different syntax, different spheres of application, and logic, these languages, nevertheless, have a number of common properties.

They are convenient, easy to learn and use, and have many useful libraries, broad communities, and detailed documentation.

However, choosing the best of the two eventually comes down to the purpose of development. Same as in the creation of PHP and python, before starting to learn the language and developing your own product, it is important to ask the question “what exactly do I want to get in the end?” to create simple working sites and web applications, as the experience of developers around the world and statistics reaffirm, PHP would be the best solution. However, python would be the most optimal and convenient tool for the development of complex flexible products.

When it comes to choosing PHP development or python for mobile development, take into consideration that python is not limited to web development capabilities, which makes it more versatile than PHP. all the major mobile platforms (i os, android, windows mobile) have some kind of python port or framework that allows the development of native and web applications with a help of python. Thanks to its regulations and logic, PHP is better applicable for web development exactly. Though there are ways to build mobile web applications over the PHPserver-side backends, it is much harder compared to python.