Why PHP is so much more popular for web-development

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

walterbyrd a écrit :
> On Jul 25, 12:40 pm, Carsten Haese <cars... at uniqsys.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>What exactly could Python learn from PHP?
> 
> 
> Remember, I'm a noob, I'm not trolling.
> 
> When I posted "Python" I meant the Python web-developement world. In
> particular, python frameworks, like CherryPy, have requirements that
> are not realistic for most shared hosting plans.
> 
> Maybe I'm wrong, but I often get the idea that those  who develop
> python frameworks don't give a thought to the realities of shared
> hosting. They seem to think that everybody has complete control over
> the server. Things are very different in the PHP universe.

Fact is that most of the Python developpers working in this domain are 
doing it in a professional context - which usually implies dedicated 
servers, or at least professional-quality hosting. To make a long story 
short, most of Python-based web development solutions compete with Java, 
not with PHP.

> To use codeignitor as an example, again. On the "why  codeignitor"
> part of the welcome page you will find:
> 
> ---
> CodeIgniter is right for you if...
> * You need broad compatibility with standard hosting accounts that run
> a variety of PHP versions and configurations.
> * You want a framework that requires nearly zero configuration.
> * You want a framework that does not require you to use the command
> line.
> ---
> 
> I don't seem to see Python frameworks using those sorts of selling
> points. 

Hopefully not - except perhaps for the second point. Being a 
professional web developer implies a knowledge that is far beyond what 
one can expect of the typical PHP user.

> Posting as a noob, who is struggling to get django configured
> on dreamhost, I gotta tell 'ya: those selling points look awfully
> attractive.

Posting as a web developer, I dont give a damn about points #1 and #3. 
wrt/ point #2, I expect my tools to be configurable, but with sensible 
defaults.

> The point is: PHP framework makers are very considerate of the
> realities of shared hosting.

You mean: of grand-public, low-price shared hosting.

And yes, that's true: most PHP frameworks are for non-programmers.

> Python framework makers don't seem to
> give it a thought.

They do. But the issue here is that most low-budget share-hosting 
providers just don't give a damn about Python anyway (at best you'll 
have cgi with a prehistoric Python version), so there's just no reason 
to try to be competitive here. Either you are a casual user with 101 web 
development skills trying to set up your personal home page (ever 
wondered what PHP stands for ?), and then PHP is quite enough for you, 
or you are doing professional-quality web development, and then you know 
how to use a unix command line, configure your system and choose the 
appropriate hosting solution (FWIW, small dedicated server are nowadays 
dirt cheap).

> Just maybe, that's something that Python could
> learn from PHP.

I don't think so.