8 Reasons Why Python Scores Over PHP for Web Development

PHP, the general-purpose scripting language has been used since decades for socket programming and web development. But in recent times, Python has become the most sought after programming language. This all-purpose programming language is attracting more developers in the industry owing to its highly dynamic and extensible nature. Let's see how Python is winning over age-old PHP.

1. Performance, the key factor for comparison:

Python supports several stable web-frameworks which allows web development at a faster pace, Django and Flask being the most popular choices. It can be coded easily within the stipulated time period and budget. It is precise and brief. Though the latest version of PHP offers greater speed than Python, yet for small-scale applications which are not very critical to latency, choose Python over PHP.

2. Ease to learn:

For a beginner with absolutely no knowledge in programming, can start with Python. It has pretty clean code with no use of curly braces. Python development has been made simpler whereas to learn PHP, a naive needs to have a basic understanding of computer programming. In the fast-running world, language that takes a shorter time to learn is inevitably the better option.

3. Readability and Flexibility:

Python has a strict implementation of correct indentation which makes it easily readable. However, PHP follows the traditional approach and is extensively documented which makes it less readable. Due to its clarity and flexibility, Python has been integrated with languages like Java and Objective C, viz. Jython and  PyObjc. However, PHP has a strict and tough syntax to follow.

4. Design and Framework:

Python follows a modular design which allows to reuse a module in future use cases and debug easily. Developers prefer Django over PHP frameworks like Codeigniter and Laravel because Django offers faster development and it is easy to set up. Moreover, Django development comes with Object-Relational Mapping, which allows it to work with multiple databases at a time.

5. Simpler Syntax and Debugging Tools:

Python comes with a powerful debugger called PDB (Python Debugger) which is easy to use even for the beginners. PHP, on the other hand, uses the complex XDebug package for debugging. The former is not prone to minimal syntactical errors.  This helps to prevent wastage of time in debugging and resolving minute mistakes. In absence of good debugging tools, developers need to struggle more in digging out the issue which is definitely not the intention.

6. Enormous in-built Library and Community Support:

Python has special packages in its huge library to support several implementations without writing the code, while PHP requires loading them manually. Whenever we face any bug, even before using our brain, we tend to browse for solutions over the internet. Python has a greater fan base and so we can easily find solutions to the common problems already faced by fellow developers. That saves a lot of time.

7. Security and Time-Saving:

When anything is built from scratch, one of the major concerns is handling the security. With a good web framework, however, a developer need not worry about that because there has been a lot of effort put into preventing any misuse of its product. That's why its trusted by most of the MNCs. The term "security" is subjective based on requirements, exposure to vulnerabilities and end-user. Use of tools in integration with language makes the system secure. Though two languages cannot be compared from the perspective of security, yet Python is said to be more secure because of its stable frameworks. A large number of PHP software are known for their pervasive security loopholes. Old codes in PHP are infamous because of their inherent security flaws. Most of the generic issues of programming languages are taken care of by the language itself. Developer need not look into it and can concentrate solely on his logic. It is perfect for building simple prototypes or projects on a budget within shorter deadlines. Time is precious and any redundant task killing time is not preferred nowadays.

8. Scalability and Efficiency:

PHP frameworks are hard to scale up after a certain point. A developer has to look into model segregation and all issues whereas Python takes care of this automatically. Ease of management and modularity has made Python super efficient in comparison to powerful yet rigid PHP.

 Thus, Python development is winning over PHP due to its inherent simplicity. Though the final decision is made by the developer depending on the nature of the assigned task, it's generally opined to use Python over PHP. The latter is an incredibly popular open-source language but still losing its importance gradually owing to its complex design and not so robust nature. PHP is too good but not a cup of tea for the beginners with a low budget.

References:

Best open source python web framework