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I also learned PHP first, but have been very happy that I
moved to Python. The OOP capabilities are no comparison
(e.g. Python is better IMHO). It is the richness of the
standard library and add-ons that make Python a good choice.
Things like ReportLab, Python Imaging Library, SMTP, FTP,
URLlib, etc.

One of my recent sites used PHP for front-end UI and Python
for backend database processing. The combination worked well
for that client. I still think that if I did it today, I would
do it all in Python, but the combination worked well. The UI
was not complex so I did it in PHP very quickly.

One very big difference is that I can do more DIFFERENT things
in Python than PHP. I can write standalone programs with Python
using wxWindows, etc. I've written COM objects, Windows Services,
plain scripts, programs that manipulate the Windows Registry,
programs that modify the NT user database, you name it. These
types of programs just don't make sense in PHP. I find that I
am able to learn one language very well instead of VB for GUI
apps, C/C++ for services/COM objects, PHP for web applications, ...

Python just addresses a wider landscape over more different
platforms for me.

Larry Bates
Syscon, Inc.


Sam wrote:
> Hi,
> I have been developing sites and cms's for the past few years using
> PHP and mysql. I've been interested in learning a new language and was
> considering Python. I have a pretty decent grasp of OOP concepts (i
> know, you're skeptical since I mentioned PHP). I don't have a formal
> programming background, just learning as I go.
>
> So, with that being said, here are some dumb questions.
>
> 1. What can I do with Python that I can't do with php?
>
> 2. Do you use both PHP and Python in conjunction with each other?
>
> 3. In what way could I utilize Python to compliment existing sites or
> apps built with PHP?
>
> Thanks for any help.

If you have not, I suggest that you spend about 2 hours reading through the
Python tutorial. The should be enough to experience whether Python grabs
you, the way it has some of us, or repels you, as it has others.

tjr

Sam wrote:
> So you're saying, in order to write smart, clean, well structured,
> readable code, and have fun doing so, I'm going to have to drop PHP
> and use Python?

Err... You might not have notice, but this was enclosed in a <troll> tag !-)

You can of course write smart, clean, well structured, readable code in
PHP - it's just that's it's easier and more fun (IMVHO) to do so in Python.

> I'm not really interested in finding a replacement for PHP, it works
> just fine for me.
>
> I apologize for not phrasing my questions clearly, I wasn't looking
> for critisisms of PHP or why I shouldn't use it.

I apologize for being a troll.

> What i'm really
> after, is given that I use PHP to develop sites currently, what types
> of situations would/could i use Python in web development?

Well, there's no exact answer to this question. It's not a matter of raw
functionnalities, PHP has it all (or almost, but well...). What Python
has to offer is :
- the language itself, which is IMHO cleaner, smarter and more fun
- frameworks or application servers like Zope, Twisted, Nevow etc

Zope is somewhat not easy to 'get into', but it's worth the effort, and
you can experience productivity gain even on the first project (well...
I did at least).


> Is there a
> point when learning Python, that I'll say to myself "why use php?".

Depends on you. I personnally still use PHP for quick&dumb stuffs like
includes, simple forms etc., cause Python itself would not buy me
anything for such things and using Zope would be overkill.


> Thanks
You're welcome (and please forgive my trollness)
Bruno

Thanks Bruno,
No need to apologize, just thought maybe I wasn't being clear, thanks
for your insight

(Sam) wrote in message news:<. com>...
> So you're saying, in order to write smart, clean, well structured,
> readable code, and have fun doing so, I'm going to have to drop PHP
> and use Python?
>
> I'm not really interested in finding a replacement for PHP, it works
> just fine for me.
>
> I apologize for not phrasing my questions clearly, I wasn't looking
> for critisisms of PHP or why I shouldn't use it. What i'm really
> after, is given that I use PHP to develop sites currently, what types
> of situations would/could i use Python in web development? Is there a
> point when learning Python, that I'll say to myself "why use php?".
> Thanks

learn python and you will answer your own question, php is just about
1 rung above perl in maintainability