I find the PHP syntax a bit more friendly, but that is 100% personal opinion. The differences seem to be more at the core impetus for the language - but as each has grown they have both become full featured languages that moved away from their niche-y beginnings to the mainstream.
For a person coming from a C/C++/java/C# background probably 100% true. PHP syntax purposely made to mimic it
The inventor of python, first invented a "training language" called ABC.
From the mistakes problems in ABC he went on to make python.
One of the quirks of python is using indentation as a form of syntax.
This is one thing that pisses C/C++ guys off.
Ironically it forces you to make sure that all of your commands can fit on one line.
Also it makes your code look neat and tidy
.
As u move on to other languages u will be a "neat freak"
In another thread it was stated that PHP has much larger following then python.
In the webworld this is true.
But how many full scale applications have been written in PHP ?
Anything from a complete email client suite with gui to NASA uses python for full scale apps.
Part of the bad rep that PHP suffered until recently has come from week-end coders throwing together stuff.
At one time PHP had a rep as being an insecure language, this was because of crappy coders not the language.
Anyway not 100% to compare the 2 directly.
IMO I do not see a clear benefit of one over the other except in libraries and current knowledge. If you already know PHP, the only benefit to Python is personal growth and the possibility for work - woth of which are really valid, but don't necessarily increase your income *today* ...
Ultimately that sums it up.
Irronically when i learned python, PHP barely existed, python at this time was already established and had a true OO system unlike perl which was an after thought.
At the time (python had just gone to version 1.5). All the arguments you hear against language X today where against python. It is a new language, no one is using it. Who knows where it will be in 10 years all that rubbish.
At the time I was a C/C++ programmer just out of college.
Anyway i was approached by 6 contractors they needed a huge database, one that spanned 100-200 tables (It had to be split into this many tables because of speed issues) contained over 20K entries and had to be updated daily with 2k+ entries being either updated, deleted, added etc.
From this database it would generate billings, orders etc.
Also this had to all run on a 586 pentium and be completed in 2 months.
A professional development company wanted them to put up $50K upfront with no product, for a VB solution.
Anyway me being an arrogant asshole told them give me 1 week, i will show u a prototype then we will talk. I had no idea what to so. I knew if i use C/C++,Delphi etc it would be 100k plus lines of code.
So i searched on the net, i found python and wxpython gui. Using 10 lines of code i could make an interface that would be 100 line of code in delphi.
Also u did not need to compile. Time that is lost in the compile cycle is lost.
Anyway in a week i make prototype/mockup (and learn python at same time
). I call all the contractors together.
I show them my proggie, (It is all point and click these guys are savy buisnessmen, but they are not puter experts).
I tell them what will take u 20 hours to do manually my system u can do in 2 hours. How much ur time worth ?
I wanted to force the deal. I tell them you have 24 hours for each of u to give me a cheque for $500, if you agree.
Then for 2 years you will pay me every month $100-200 per month for use of my proggie.
4 of them on the spot pulled out thier cheque books. 2 of them within 24 hours send me cheque.
In 2 months i constructed the proggie it use 10-15k lines of python code.
Also because of the nature of python when crashes/errors occurred i could very quickly go in an fix the error without recompiling.
At the time i do not even think there was a book in print for python.
(Even if there was, this before days of amazon, would be impossible for me to get).
I make many mistake later on, but they where not programming mistake but buisness mistake
Anyway point behind my story is don't choose a language just because "experts" say it good.
Or it popular or some shit like that.
Also don't sell urself short. I hate people who say that not possible.
Or they sugar coat it. "ohhh i am just being realistic".
No that just justification for being a failure.
Ironically most of my life i have been called smart, i am not smart. I suspect that in many area i have
learning problem (i am not saying this for sympathy or crap like that). Never sell urself short
.
Anyway i kinda got sidetracked
