Many programming languages that are being used for backend development are emerging in the market, the list of which is elaborated upon below:
Python
Python is one of the most popular choices of backend programming. It is relatively new and has enormous library support.
PHP
PHP has been in the market for a long time and it is widely used to this day. Facebook, for instance, had its substantial backend developed in PHP in the initial days.
JavaScript
With powerful web frameworks like NodeJS, JavaScript has captured a huge chunk of the market and emerged as one of the most popular backend programming languages.
Ruby
Ruby on Rails is one of the most popular web development frameworks, and currently, tons of startups use it.
Dot NET
Though it is quite old, many legacy applications still use it as their backend application. For new developers, it is always a matter of confusion; which backend framework to learn? With so many new programming languages, which ones offer so many features, libraries, and frameworks? How does one actually decide on which web framework to learn? In this blog post, we compare 2 of the most popular backend programming languages, i.e. Python and PHP. We will try to cover various aspects and see which one of them wins.
Before we begin the comparison, let us first list the points of comparison which would significantly affect our choice of web framework:
Ease of learning
This is arguably one of the most important parameters to consider in order to decide which web framework should be used. If the programming language is difficult to learn, there is no point spending time on it. Today, developer time is more important than execution time for all practical purposes.
Community support
Let’s face it; we all struggle with bugs, we all face issues while writing programs and we all look for support online at StackOverflow and other forums. If a particular programming language isn’t well known and there is little community support available, it is better to stay away from it.
Documentation
Just like community support, it is essential that the programming language/framework has sufficient documentation available for the developers to learn from in order to understand the nuances.
Pricing
Some tools/frameworks aren’t free. It might significantly affect the choice of an organization that is low on budget. Generally speaking, a large number of tech companies prefer to use open-source tools and frameworks rather than using paid systems. However, enterprises like banks, insurance companies, etc. prefer using paid systems.
Library support
If the programming language is widely used, there will be more developers who will be developing libraries for that particular language. As a result, development becomes even easier.
Speed
Server-side applications may require a high tolerance capacity as well as low latency. Therefore, it is important to see which language is faster in terms of execution time.
Choice of web frameworks
It is important that the programming language provides well-designed web development frameworks that are easy-to-use and develop powerful applications.
Debugging
The choice of programming language should also depend on the debugging tools available for the language. Lack of good debugging tools means that the developers are going to spend more time in debugging which essentially isn’t the most productive use of their time.
