Python as replacement for PHP?

[Paul Rubin]

dw-google.com at botanicus.net (David M. Wilson) writes:
> Like everyone else who has replied, I seriously question how much
> experience you have with the multitude of Python web environments
> available.

The very existence of a "multitude" of Python web environments is a
serious shortcoming of Python as a PHP replacement.  PHP comes with
one web environment, not a multitude, so you have just one manual to
read, not a multitude; one codebase to worry about keeping up with the
latest releases for, not a multitude, and so forth.  You don't have to
check out and evaluate N different web environments and K different
database interface packages, and make sure they're all in sync with
each other whenever you update anything.  PHP's web environment are
database integration right there for you the moment you install PHP.

> - PHP provides no intuitive default support for many common DB
> operations. Compare the following messes:

That's ok, Python has no default support at all, intuitive or
otherwise, for ANY db operations, common or not.

> We could bring the PHP ADODB, or many of the other numerous PHP APIs
> for DB connectivity into the picture, but which of these are the
> obvious choice, and officially endorsed?

That's precisely the situation Python is in now!

> - Python tends to be slow, but slow compared to what? The laptop I
> type this message on has a 2ghz processor. It cost less than £1000.

Yes, but we're talking about server side applications, that can have
to support thousands of users simultaneously.  They always want more
speed and rarely are found running on laptops.

> - PHP is very light on CPU, memory, and so on. I earn a modest amount
> for a 20 year old, even by Northern Ireland standards. I can't see how
> I would ever need to resort to PHP because I couldn't afford the
> hardware to run a complex Python-based site intended for viewing by
> thousands.

The site that I worked on spent TWO MILLION U.S. DOLLARS on its web
server hardware.  OK, it used Java servlets that are even slower than
Python, but you have to understand that there's a point after which
you can no longer pretend that hardware is free.