Via Simon’s blogmarks… Python Server Pages.
Finally!
Personally think this is great news. Up until now (ignoring third party Python projects which have tried this), mod_python has had an awkward deployment mechanism (much like mod_perl, if you know it) requiring definition of handlers, within Apache. Python Server Pages make it pretty much the same as creating PHP pages – just tell Apache to watch out for .psp files and away you go.
If you’re wondering why I’m talking about Python on a PHP blog, I don’t have a clear answer for you. Python is a very well designed language. For my tastes, perhaps most pleasant to work with, out of the dynamically typed family (e.g. Perl, PHP, JavaScript and Ruby).
As a solution for web applications, PHP has a significant head start over Python, with massive support amongst hosting providers and almost all the functionality you need “ready to go”. Also there’s a huge weight in supporting projects for PHP, as John Lim suggests here.
That said, Python comes with all those things that itch PHP developers, such as support for namespaces and an in-built (i.e. free) mechansim that stores a “compiled” form of your scripts. And things like the distutils solve many a headache for distributing your work.
So Python Server Pages is an alternative to PHP. Perhaps competition is a good thing, PHP being much like a monopoly these days.
Turns out Sterling Hughes, who’s one of PHP’s core developers, provided the basis for the PSP add-on to mod_python, as he mentioned a while back here. Et Tu, Brute? ;)
Harry FuecksHarry Fuecks is the Engineering Project Lead at Tamedia and formerly the Head of Engineering at Squirro. He is a data-driven facilitator, leader, coach and specializes in line management, hiring software engineers, analytics, mobile, and marketing. Harry also enjoys writing and you can read his articles on SitePoint and Medium.
