Programming languages are anything but simple. In fact, they are intricate, advanced, and showcase just how far we have come in the age of technology and programming. Comprising of a set of commands, programming languages are utilized in computer programming, where different programs are created on the foundation of various algorithms.

Each language has specific terms or “words” rather, that allow it to perform certain tasks such as create microservices. A special arrangement of these terms allows the program to perform different functions. Whilst a high-programming language is often compared to language spoken amongst individuals and the human race, it is far more intricate and complex. A language that a computer is able to comprehend is termed as “machine language”, and every CPU has its own language.

Finding their place between high-level languages and machine languages are assembly languages and are simpler than high-level programming languages, mainly because this language consists of numbers as opposed to words.

 

Moving on to the question at hand: Is Python better than PHP? Are both these programming languages even worthy of being compared to one another? If so, what draws them to together, and what differences can we see when we distinguish them from one another?

Python is a high level, intricate, all purpose programming language. Introduced by its creator Guido van Rossum in 1991, the language showcases an advanced design and structure highlighting significant whitespace. Whitespace is a term used for horizontal or vertical typography. In page layout, white space is often referred to as “negative space” with regards to illustration and design.

Python comprises of many notable features, including management memory. In addition to this, the language employs various programming paradigms including but not limited to: procedural, imperative and functional.

What makes Python a popular choice is its elegant syntax, making the program easy to read, thus making it a bit easier to hire python developers. Due to this, the language is often used for the development of prototypes and other programs without having difficulty managing it.  One of its most prominent features is it’s standard library, that allows searching text and file management to be done easily. However, what adds onto the growing popularity of the software is that it’s quite frankly, free. Operating under an open source license, the software can be redistributed, included and modified along with other programmes. In addition to this, you can download the software without being charged as well. This means easier and instant access to the software for millions of users worldwide, only allowing the programme’s database to grow which it has in the years 2017-2018 and continues to grow.

Now that we’ve somewhat managed to introduce Python and some of its features, let’s look at its contender: PHP.

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is also a general-purpose programming language. Although this language is specifically designed for website development and management, it is now used for other purposes as well. PHP has gone through several name changes after its initial release in 1994, with the name being “personal home page” a name that was later altered due to the programs widespread use outside of website development. The interpreter for PHP (Zend Engine) is also distributed by PHP and is free of cost. The programme has been largely used by creators of web servers on notable platforms, free of cost. We see that although Python may have a stronger game in terms of being a more general-use programme, we have to recognize the growth and evolution of the PHP programming language. Understanding that PHP started on a more specified note, it has evolved into something greater, that too without a formal specification until 2014. Going back in time, PHP originally came into existence with the writing of CGI (Common Gateway Interface) in C, back in 1994. This program was essentially used to maintain his personal homepage. This led to Rasmus Lerdorf to go a step further to work on the communication of databases and web forms. By 1995, PHP was pretty much what we have now, in 2019, although the program was never meant to be a new language, and naturally evolved into one over due course time.

Again, similar to Python, the programming language is easy and efficient. Its open source designed language that can be downloaded for free and used worldwide. It is also considered faster than most scripting languages.

PHP is also independent of a platform and is not exclusive to any. The language can be run on Mac OSX, Windows and other notable platforms. The advanced language has other characteristics that add to its efficiency. Error reporting, for instance, is an example that showcases how advanced the language is. Point to be taken here is that whilst Python can be seen as a more popular choice, PHP is known for being a more efficient language, by the end of the day. Whether this is a preference or not, is something we still have yet to see.

There are a couple of factors to look into when deciding which language is the one worthy of being sided with.

Learning a programming language has to be a first. The language that wins this battle is Python, which, isn’t to say that PHP doesn’t do a good job. However it doesn’t do a job as well. In fact, in most beginner programming classes, a student will first be introduced to Python, as it’s easier to learn and hence, makes a good starting foundation.

Another reason as to why Python is seen as an easier language as opposed to its contender is the fact that it was always meant to be a general programming language. This was not the case with PHP, which evolved into language overtime, from being specifically designed for web development. This is probably why it is a more intricate language to be getting into from the get-go.

The other factor we want to address is Community Support. Now, without a doubt, both Python and PHP come close in this category. With PHP being around for quite some time, to Python being used for notable sites and applications such as Google and Instagram. It is fair to say that there is no clear winner in this category, with both communities receiving an exceptional amount of support.

In conclusion, it’s safe to say that both high-end programming languages are clearly the best one’s out there. When it comes to Python vs other programming languages, choosing one over the other could be a matter of preference, or this case, Python’s ease of learning is what gives it just the right edge over PHP.