PCFormat Forum Archive

I'm well aware of the differences, benefits and disadvantages of using PHP vs Python. What I'm interested in finding out is the number of skilled South African developers for each language, and whether there are a significantly higher number of developers skilled in one vs the other language.

My hypothesis is that there are more developers skilled in PHP than in Python. My preference would be towards Python, but for some upcoming projects my concern is that I will be able to find skilled PHP developers more easily than skilled Python developers.

So my question is: In which language do you consider yourself skilled? To be skilled in a language you should really have at least 2 years, but ideally 3 or more years of professional experience developing in that language.

1. PHP
2. Python
3. Both PHP and Python

If you have any additional information such as actual studies or statistics released on the general developer:ratio for all languages in South Africa, please feel free to share.

I know a bit of PHP, but don't meet your experience or geographic requirements

We have a So Who is a Programmer On The Forum? thread which shows 0 people here know Python, while Creator, eraser, F-ROD, skunkymunky, Pollynator, PHR33K and myself claim to know PHP

If that is in any way a reliable canvas of SA programmers then it would support the assumption that PHP is more widely known and used than Python.

Agreed - there are more training courses for PHP than for Python. Therefore someone is going on that training...

jamin_za wrote:We have a So Who is a Programmer On The Forum? thread which shows 0 people here know Python, while Creator, eraser, F-ROD, skunkymunky, Pollynator, PHR33K and myself claim to know PHP

Hey, look at that. Completely forgot about that thread. Shot!

jamin_za wrote:If that is in any way a reliable canvas of SA programmers then it would support the assumption that PHP is more widely known and used than Python.

Sure looks like it, at least based on the peeps from PCF.

Tribble wrote:Agreed - there are more training courses for PHP than for Python. Therefore someone is going on that training...

Good point, this is a reasonable assumption to make, but most often the people who are involved in Python are considered somewhat more thoroughbred than PHP developers, and so chances are good that they learnt the language themselves rather than through a course.

There's quite a few local Python guys in #programming on Shadowfire.