PHP is undoubtedly the most popular server-side language used for web development. Over 80% of websites are developed in PHP, including popular platforms such as Facebook, Wikipedia, or Tumblr. However, recently there has been a notable popularity revival of another backend language, Python, which is also used by the big tech fish, such as Google, YouTube and Dropbox. If you’re looking to build web applications, you might wonder which language might be a better option for you. In order to decide which of these two languages can be more suitable for your project, it is worth discussing what they both have to offer.
Why Choose PHP?
PHP is an open-source server-side language and has a vast community of users, which gives PHP developers the possibility to join excellent support system for PHP coders and gain easy access to references, guidelines, new resources and updates, as well as extensions libraries. Bugs are also fixed at an impressive speed. PHP also offers a variety of frameworks, Symfony and Laravel being the most popular.
The PHP’s syntax is similar to the C and C++ languages, two popular programming languages, so it allows for an easy, smooth transition for developers familiar with either of these languages. PHP code is generally praised among beginners for its relative simplicity. PHP is also a cross-platform language which means it can be run on all operating systems.
Speed is crucial for successful web development birmingham and this might be the reason why PHP is still number one among web dev languages, as it allows for reasonably speedy development, considering the resource usage. Speed is also of great importance for clients. Websites that take forever to load are a nightmare for the Internet users and may effectively discourage them from entering a slow website ever again. PHP allows also for creating dynamic websites which enable user participation and increase the number of visitors.
Disadvantages
Experts from https://ottawa-it-services.ca point out the importance of security in all IT operations. The issue raised with PHP most is that its security depends mainly on your skills as a programmer. Developers must remember to use precautions to avoid script or SQL injections, among other threats.
Why Choose Python?
Just like PHP, Python is also an open-source language and has a growing community of users which make sure the code is constantly being improved. Similarly to PHP, Python uses extensive support libraries which make the life of developers much more accessible (e.g., in unit-testing or image manipulation) and significantly speed up the development process.
Due to its straightforward syntax that resembles the English language, Python is currently most often recommended to those who are just starting their adventure with programming. Python’s clean and straightforward syntax allows also for easy database arrangement.
Python also offers a range of frameworks, with examples of Django and Flask as most commonly used, and their number is growing as Python is being introduced to more projects.
Projects using Python include IoT technology, which is increasingly becoming an interest among developers and will undoubtedly have a significant impact on our future.
Disadvantages
The issue most commonly raised with Python is its speed execution which might not be adequate for some projects. Another problem for some developers might be, ironically, the simplicity of code. Developers whose work is limited just to this one language may find it challenging to transition to more complex languages, like, for example Java.
As with any programming language, it needs to be chosen to take into consideration the project’s specific needs, as well as the experience and personal preferences of the developer (provided he or she has any say in choosing the technology utilized in the commercial project). Both PHP and Python will probably stay widely relevant, at least in the nearest future.