Ruby, Python or PHP: An Insight into the Big Three
Published On - July 11, 2013
The post millennium times have given space to a new kind of feud involving scripting languages. For the last few years, the battle between scripting languages is seen to be heating for the last few years. If we talk about some of the most popular websites which are in existence online including website giants like Google, Twitter and Facebook, scripting languages become a basic necessity for them. Scripting languages including PHP, JAVA, Ruby, Python and Perl are extensively used for these popular websites which are prevailing in the World Wide Web.
Origin of the Languages
The development of web applications does not go very long. It was the year 1990s, some hints of web application development found its place on the drawing board. The whole process of web development had a very banal approach since its inception. It mainly comprised linking static documents together. The main predicament was embedding the content with the Hypertext Markup Language or the HTML leaving the coding system all messed up.
…and then there was PHP
PHP had its birth way back in the year 1994 under the creation of Rasmus Lerdorf. It was an acronym which mainly stood for Personal Home Page, but through the ages it has gone through several iterations till it acquired the nomenclature of Hyper Text Pre-Processor.
PHP has grown out to be the web language which is essentially being used for the enhancement of the function and the appearance of the website. Object Oriented Programming had never been the part of PHP in the beginning, but it had been inculcated with time. PHP over the years have grown up to be one language which is implemented extensively for command line scripting, desktop and Graphic User Interface as well as Web Applications.
Enter the Python
Even before the birth of PHP as a scripting language, the Python has been some years around. In the year 1991, when Guido van Rossum came up with the language of Python. The birth of the language was few years before internet had been release for public use. The Python was never taken to be a web scripting language as PHP at the time of its birth. It was more of a full featured general purpose language with no formal specifications. A much effective standard was put by the Python Software Foundation. The name not to be confused with the infamous snake, it has been derived from the Monty Python series. Python is known for its multi-paradigm programming language. This language supports functional programming and aspect related programming.
Shine like a Ruby
The next scripting language Ruby, was developed by Yukihiro Matsumoto, had its release in the year 1995. Influence by the programming language small talk, Ruby had the same intention as Python itself. The language was absolutely object oriented. It is open source language much similar to that of the PHP and the Python. The Ruby language is based on an open community. There are no formal foundations for its guidance. It is considered to be language which is fun for the developers.
Popularity of Usage amongst different Developing Community
By now you have been furnished with the preliminary discussion of all these three languages. These languages are extensively used in the context of web programming. But which one is the most popular in the context of usability? We can discuss it through the following lines.
Developing through PHP
PHP is considered to be one of the most popular languages used for tweaking and tuning major content management system across the world. CMSs like Media Wiki, Joomla, Word Press and Droopal takes the help of this language for enticing its users. The biggest advantage of PHP is that it is available around every single hosting provider which shares and has been the key to the well established runtime environments which is available on the net. As it has got advantages in the search engine ratings PHP becomes one of the preferred languages for the small and medium scale organisations.
The Power of the Python
Python is looked upon for its general purpose nature. The main usage of Python can be found in the areas of automating system administration, web application development, data manipulation analysis of scientific data, Biostatistics and several other educative fields. Python as a language has a huge library which is suited for data analysis, machine languages to name a few. The language is known for its ease of use due to the implementation of the natural language. It has made its name in building powerful sites at a very short notice.
If taken from the object oriented perspective python supports object oriented designing based on module objects. Pythons object orientation is towards C++ programming, which makes it popular amongst experienced programmers.
Rise of the Ruby
Ruby is more inclined towards toward niche usage. Ruby on Rails has been one of the Web application frame works which has risen to popularity in the recent times. The Ruby on rail has surpassed the popularity of the Python’s by an edge for web development implementation. Ruby is considered to be one of the most flexible languages which are available in the market.
As a language Ruby is much clear and easier to read. The language focuses object oriented programming similar to Python.
Philosophy and the Languages
Before we come to the end of this discussion, it is best to delve into the fact that on what philosophy in mind of the developers were these languages developed.
The Philosophy of PHP
PHP was made with a goal to allow web developers to create dynamically generated pages in a jiffy. Speed is the centre of it all which drives the Philosophy behind the development of PHP.
The Philosophy of Python
Philosophy o Python goes by the aphorisms inscribed in the Zen of Python. It follows that beautiful is better than ugly, explicit is better than implicit, Simple is better complex and complex is better than complicated. Finally these aphorism ends with readability counts.
The Philosophy of Ruby
The main philosophy which runs the Ruby language is productivity and fun based on a good interface design. The philosophy system design should be more related to human than that of the technologies.
So these are some of thoughts about the big guns of the computer languages, so what do you think which one should be preferred language of the developer? Voice your thoughts.
