Which is easy to learn - PHP or Python?

Python is much easier than PHP to learn because of its simple and English-like syntax.

Is it possible to use Python instead of PHP?

Yes, you can use Python instead of PHP for web development. In other terms, you can embed Python code inside HTML tags.

Which is more secure - Python or PHP?

Python is a more secure language than PHP. It provides various security features that you can leverage to build highly secure web applications.

How much time it takes to learn PHP?

To learn the basics of PHP, you may need one month; however, the time required depends upon how much you invest per day. Mastering PHP programming requires a lot of practice that may take three to six months.

Is PHP front-end or back-end?

PHP is a back-end programming language. It is one of the components of the LAMP stack that stands for Linux, Angular, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python.

Python vs PHP: Features, Adavantages and Applications

PHP and Python are both high-level languages. While PHP is specifically used as a back-end scripting language, Python is a general-purpose programming language ideal for data science and artificial intelligence. However, when it comes to web development, Python vs PHP becomes a topic of interest. When creating a dynamic web application, people often choose PHP over Python.

Over 70% of all websites use PHP in some form. But with the advancement in Python and its frameworks, developers are rapidly moving towards Python over PHP to develop high-quality web apps. Thus, which one is better? Let's try to know.

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

PHP is a high-level programming language. Specifically, PHP is a server-side scripting language used primarily for web development. The question would arise: what is a server-side scripting language? PHP is a scripting language that can be embedded in HTML, a markup language.

Server-side means an application of PHP is saved on the server to run the PHP file apart from HTML. JavaScript and CSS are client-side languages, which means they can run in your browser.

To run a PHP file on your browser, install localhost, such as Apache. PHP was first introduced in 1994, and Rasmus Lerdorf created it. Earlier, the PHP full form was “Personal Home Page.” PHP was never meant to be a programming language, but it became a programming language with time and effort.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP

Advantages of PHP

PHP is open-source and free to use.
Easy to learn for those who already have some experience with programming.
Supported by a large and experienced community across the world.
Provides extensive database support.
It will execute the code in a restricted environment.
It supports every operating system.

Disadvantages of PHP

It can only be used for web purposes. You cannot create a desktop application entirely with it.
Finding errors in PHP is very hard.
Objects in PHP use the CallByValue method by default.
It is not secure.

Python

Python is one of the most popular programming languages of 2022. The future of Python is looking very bright. Developers are moving to Python for their projects; consequently, the community of Python is increasing. With a simple syntax, Python is even lucrative for newcomers. In fact, many experts consider Python as the best programming language to start learning to program.

Guido van Rossum developed Python in 1989. In recent years, the popularity of Python has increased tremendously. The simple syntax and less jargon of rules make learning easier, and its versatile nature attracts developers to code on it. Python is everywhere, but if we see web development, the programming language is way behind other programming languages and frameworks. Internet claims that less than 1% of all websites use Python.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Python

Advantages of Python

It is easy to start and quick to learn.
Python supports multiple platforms. Interestingly, it comes preinstalled on certain platforms like macOS.
The syntax of the language is well-organized and easy to read.
It is a dynamic language, so you do not need to define the variable datatype.
It has a large community.
Python supports OOPs.
It has a large number of libraries, frameworks, and tools.

Disadvantages of Python

Python does not do multi-core and multi-processor well.
There is a limitation to accessing the database in Python.
It is slow as compared to other languages such as Java.

Python vs PHP

1. Language

While Python is a full-fledged programming language, PHP is a server-side scripting language.

2. Easy to learn

Regarding ease of learning, no other language can overcome Python. Python is by far the easiest programming language. If you already have some experience with a programming language such as C or C++, you will find PHP easy initially, but when you go deeper into PHP, its syntax becomes complex. If you are new to programming, you should pick Python as your first language.

3. Syntax

Both are high-level languages, and all the coding is English-like. Regarding the complexity of the syntax, PHP is similar to C, which is easy to read and understand. However, PHP is a little bit more complex than C. In PHP, semicolons and brackets lead to errors that are often very hard to find.

On the other hand, the syntax of the Python programming language is very simple as compared to PHP. Python uses indentation instead of brackets, which makes it easier to read and makes it a little bit error-proof.

4. Flexibility

Python provides more flexibility than PHP.

5. Frameworks

Both languages have several frameworks. Django and Flask are the two most famous frameworks of Python, but PHP has more frameworks than Python, many of which are more famous than Python frameworks.

When a developer has to choose between the frameworks of Python and PHP, there will be no surprise that the developer goes with PHP frameworks. In terms of frameworks, PHP frameworks are better than Python.

6. Popularity and Future

Both programming languages are popular, but when we compare the popularity level of both languages, PHP is way more popular than Python in serving the web. PHP rules the web, with 70% of the websites using PHP in one way or another. Big players like Yahoo, Facebook, Wikipedia, Flicker, and Tumblr prefer PHP over Python. Python is building momentum to power the web. Google is hyping Python for working with AI and data science .

Now companies like Reddit, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and Spotify are choosing Python for their projects. The future looks good for both languages. PHP is dominating the web right now, but it would not be surprising if Python took over the web shortly. But you can choose Python if you want something apart from the web. Also, both languages allow learners to have a successful career.

7. Documentation and Libraries

Both languages have well-organized documentation on their official website. Python has more libraries than PHP, though.

PHP vs Python: A Head-to-Head Comparison Table

Key Point	PHP	Python
Language type	High-level	High-level
Specific type	Scripting Language	Programming language
Used for	Web development	Web application development Desktop application Artificial Intelligence Data Analysis
Pricing	Open-source and free to download	Open-source and free to download
Speed	Fast	Slow
Platform	Uses server hosting	Interpreter
Applications	Localhost (Apache, etc.)	Python Interpreter
Application to run	Browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.)	cmd and IDE
Frameworks	Laravel Symfony Codelgniter CakePHP Zend	Django Flask Pyramid Bottle
Extension	.php	.py

What Language Should a Beginner Choose? PHP or Python

Before choosing between Python and PHP, beginners must know what they wish to do with it. If you want to be a back-end web developer or want to create a dynamic web application, you can choose PHP instead of Python.

But if you are choosing PHP for web development, remember that you should have some experience with coding. At least you should know the basic programming languages such as C or C++ . This will help you to understand PHP easily. Choosing PHP as the first language is not a good move. You can also create a dynamic web application in Python, but you must learn Python frameworks .

PHP also has frameworks for web development , but those are not necessary to create a web application. If you want, you can learn the PHP frameworks too to complete your PHP projects easier and faster, though you can make web applications without using them.

But in the case of Python, you cannot make a web application without using Python web frameworks. There are many Python frameworks that you can use for web development. Django and Flask are the two most famous frameworks for web development.

If you are not sure that you want to be a web developer or you want to learn programming languages for some other purpose, you can go with Python. The main thing to note is that PHP is limited to web development. You cannot go further with PHP. The web is the endpoint of PHP, but this is not the case with Python. It is everywhere, especially in data science and AI.

Conclusion

That sums up our Python vs PHP discussion. Both are popular programming languages . While Python is ideal for data science and AI, PHP is best for web development and back-end programming. To start programming, Python is the best choice.

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