Python vs PHP

[Paul Rubin]

Max M <maxm at mxm.dk> writes:
> Ahem ... How os Python web development fragmented? Most of it probably
> takes place in the Zope world.

Nonsense, look at all the Python web platforms there are that don't use Zope.

> But mod_python is an official Apache module. Wich sets it about on par
> with PHP.

Nonsense, it's not on a par with PHP.  It doesn't include any template
system, any sessions, etc.


> It has a standard library that beats the socks of PHP's builtin functions.

Nonsense, it doesn't include any SQL database interfaces and you're
left on your own to find one, install it, and get it working.

> On top on this there are severeal modules for templating etc. PHP does
> not have these modules, so everybody has to do it in PHP's own faulty
> way.

Nonsense, you're trying to spin a deficiency as an advantage.  PHP is
its own template system, for better or worse.  Python doesn't include
any template system and you're left on your own to find or write one,
install it, and get it working.

> Python is not fragmented, but there are more high level modules for
> doing things.

Nonsense, of course Python (for web development) is fragemented, look
at all these different Python web modules we've been discussing.
Python does have a lot of modules (like Numeric) that PHP doesn't, but
they're not that useful for web programming.  PHP is narrowly focused
on web programming and is far superior to Python for that purpose
unless you spend a lot of time enhancing Python with add-ons before
you even start writing your applications.

> There are more PHP developers, that's right, but they are all starting
> from scratch, with a poor language. So it's their loss.

Nonsense, Python is a better language than PHP, but that's the only
advantage Python has for web development.  The language is a small
part of the overall system.  And it's Python developers who must start
from scratch, not PHP developers.  Python could catch up by adding
more stuff to the standard library, but it hasn't done that yet and
most of the suitable Python modules for PHP-like usage aren't really
ready for prime time.