i started programming with php, then moved over to Java, i did more java before coming back to php to tighten up my skills. am not about to start another best programming language war but what i want if for Python enthusiasts on nairaland to give me instance where Python beats PHP, or USES Cases where Python 'll outperform PHP. also if there is any of you that have done a benchmark of memory and runtime of both should post the code and results here. i think PHP has been maligned so much, it was the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg for web developement and i want to use this opportunity to restore its honor. i have done my research functional programming is possible in PHP, closure, list, is possible even range, array_map, array_filter etc. i await the response from Python Purist and enthusiast here, convince me to drop PHP and Scala atleast the former to learn Python, i need facts not links personal development experiences.

I think the cart is being put before the horse here.

There are some problem that PHP is better suited to solve and Python, vice-versa, what problem are you trying to solve? -- it might turn out that neither is even an appropriate fix.

Programming languages are continually evolving, a method or patch-set that might be causing low performance today could get fixed in another release, the grand scheme of things, if you know PHP/Scala well, and you've been using it on [significant] projects, it's counter-productive to suddenly drop that and start following the Python buzz (or Ruby). My point is, an hammer is super at driving a nail into a wood, it wouldn't do so well to saw down a 4 x 4.

You probably must have figured from that analogy that it's rare to find someone working in web techs to be a "Purist." You're constantly jumping around your basic core skill-sets of some core back/front-end divide (depending on what you do).

All these of course assume you are not a beginner, if you are, well, whatever language you choose doesn't matter, choose the one you find approachable.

i use python for standalones, it lets you get a lot done in less time with less code.
you have an excellent readable and maintainable code
i enjoy using php for the web though.

Seun may be able to share his experience with python on the web

Thanks for your comments, i dont intend to learn python, got the ebooks last year around May but the code looks gibberish to me and i wonder why people keep saying that its clean. even with Java and PHP curly braces somethings i have to rely on IDE brace matching to know which which group of code is which and i wonder why people keep saying lack of curly brace etc makes python clean. one more thing a lot have been said about php security flaw can someone please point one the flaws and how python fixed those flaws. thanks all.

I concur… python ain't clean

Just finished up some group work this weekend in a mixed programming language team (Java, Python, Ruby [me using Ruby], we used text files for our programs to communicate with each other).

I'm thoroughly impressed by Python as a productivity tool, and want to find time to learn it.

Amazing libraries for anything you want to do (like Java, unlike Ruby, my favorite language), but actually easy and convenient APIs (unlike Java).

@ekt_bear, well thats you choice, i still dont see how a language that hardly marks group of statement is consider clean. can you give an instance of where Python was productive over other langauges used in the project. am not doubting what Python enthusiasts are saying, am just saying show me proof and facts. atleast, i know all the buzz about being clean is a lie, all these magic words are marketing strategy fueled by Google.

please python pall bearers should convince me too...

What do you mean "clean"?

Look, for me I can see myself being productive if I learn it well because:

a) There is a good, well-maintained library for almost ANYTHING you want to do in python. We were doing some stuff that required piecing together quite a few libraries and tools, and Ruby simply didn't have these things, at least at the same level of quality that I wanted.

b) Of course, the above is also true for Java or C++. There is bound to be a great Java/C++ library for any task you want to do. However, will it be easy to use? I find Java in particular very verbose.

Conciseness + excellent libraries is enough to convince me, personally.

I think if I'm ever hiring programmers for something, I'll try to get it done in python (unless it is just web development or text processing..for this PHP or Ruby are probably equal or superior choices.)

But anything algorithmic in nature? Gonna pick python.

but python is very high level that if its programs are run on low processors it is going behave in funny ways

Another strike in python's favor is the fact that its currently also being used as the macro language for very many applications ( Inkscape, Blender, CorelDraw, AutoCAD etc). So if you have Python skills, you only have to learn the unique objects in each application to become AWESOME. Not a Python fanboy by the way ( or any other language for that matter). I adapt based on expectation (customer's).

kodewrita: Another strike in python's favor is the fact that its currently also being used as the macro language for very many applications ( Inkscape, Blender, CorelDraw, AutoCAD etc). So if you have Python skills, you only have to learn the unique objects in each application to become AWESOME. Not a Python fanboy by the way ( or any other language for that matter). I adapt based on expectation (customer's).

uhmm... javascript has been doing that.... for a very long time

lordZOUGA:
uhmm... javascript has been doing that.... for a very long time

Really?!! Cool. Which applications?

kodewrita: Really?!! Cool. Which applications?

adobe illustrator, adobe photoshop and adobe after effects... it is used to write proxy auto-configuration scripts in microsoft's internet explorer and other browsers... and many others I don't know of.

If u have any questions contact, Guido van Rossum on guido@python.org

Python makes a programmer's life easier.
@OP, i guess as a java programmer, u must have written some android apps in java before...
Try same in python and u would understand what am talking about...
Compared 2 python, Java and PHP are a pain in d ass.

goon: Python makes a programmer's life easier.
@OP, i guess as a java programmer, u must have written some android apps in java before...
Try same in python and u would understand what am talking about...
Compared 2 python, Java and PHP are a pain in d ass.

but you can never compare the efficiency of apps written in java with that of those written in python

Different problems require different tools but I hope this helps you clear up some stuffs a little.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2012/01/infographic-php-vs-python-vs-r.php

lordZOUGA:
but you can never compare the efficiency of apps written in java with that of those written in python

Ermmm, i totally disagree. It depends on the type of application. Some applications are better written in Java than in Python and vice versa...

For our project, we had one guy who spent a ton of time writing stuff in Java wasting his time implementing low-level features. His stuff didn't work.

The other two of us did Ruby (me) and Python (the other guy) respectively, and got a ton of work done in our time frame.

You can always optimize away bottlenecks later...first important to get up something running before you worry about speed imo.

ekt_bear: For our project, we had one guy who spent a ton of time writing stuff in Java wasting his time implementing low-level features. His stuff didn't work.

The other two of us did Ruby (me) and Python (the other guy) respectively, and got a ton of work done in our time frame.

You can always optimize away bottlenecks later...first important to get up something running before you worry about speed imo.

GBAM

scripts are scripts... they are just used to do stuffs while a main program executes... isn't that what scripts do??

lordZOUGA: scripts are scripts... they are just used to do stuffs while a main program executes... isn't that what scripts do??

Python is a full-blown high-level programming language and not a scripting language.
Do not underrate the power of python please...

God bless Guido van Rossum, shout out to all my fellow pythonistas

worth the hype or not am adding python,c++ and php to java that i already know before end of 2012.

kodewrita: Another strike in python's favor is the fact that its currently also being used as the macro language for very many applications ( Inkscape, Blender, CorelDraw, AutoCAD etc). So if you have Python skills, you only have to learn the unique objects in each application to become AWESOME. Not a Python fanboy by the way ( or any other language for that matter). I adapt based on expectation (customer's).

Good, some days back i downloaded Blender but my point is even if python is being supported by these groups does it make it better than PHP. cause i know marketing is involved in the pythin buzz. for instance, people adopted Java mainly because its open source, write once and run anywhere feature, it abstracted things like socket communication, garbage collection etc eliminated pointers these feature made it easier to program in compare to see. all i want is for python programmer to say look at what my python has and how easy it makes these or that. Coreldraw, etc support to me doesn't make sense cause Most python programmers dont even use this python say blender integration. how many python programmers design games in Blender and use python scripts to .....

goon: Python makes a programmer's life easier.
@OP, i guess as a java programmer, u must have written some android apps in java before...
Try same in python and u would understand what am talking about...
Compared 2 python, Java and PHP are a pain in d ass.

i dont understand your point. please be explicit.

goon:
Ermmm, i totally disagree. It depends on the type of application. Some applications are better written in Java than in Python and vice versa...

canyou give instances, for instance we all at least i think most know that C/C++ is suitable for system programming, python and Java can compare .

ekt_bear: For our project, we had one guy who spent a ton of time writing stuff in Java wasting his time implementing low-level features. His stuff didn't work.

The other two of us did Ruby (me) and Python (the other guy) respectively, and got a ton of work done in our time frame.

You can always optimize away bottlenecks later...first important to get up something running before you worry about speed imo.

You are judging java based on the ability of your java programmer, smh, for instance some weeks ago someone was saying that php is trash that php doesnt have a function that gives file extension once given the file name on stackoverflow, someone said it's not true try PHP pathinfo($filename, PATH_INFO_EXTENSION), my pointis this same person said he likes python cause python does have such function, he didnt even know PHP has same function. some said Python can be used for functional programming, i found out that PHP as at PHP5.3 can also be used for functional programming, finally, some programmer struggle with algorithms, api and methods. if someone doesn't know about a feature of a language that he is using, he 'll have a very hard time achieving that feature in the language. like the example above the guy might be forced to write his own pathinfo() or switch to python like he did.

Fayimora: graph theory and linear programming. Python has some really good options for these two things (a library called networkx, and several different python LP tools.) Ruby...the options I found were either immature or looked like abandonware (not been updated in years...)

@megaplaza:

The Java programmer is actually pretty good imo. Like, in this group, it wasn't as if any of us are much better/worse programmers than the other...all approximately equally talented at programming.