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Ask HN: Which language is better for fast web developping?

2 points by adrinavarro ↗ HN
I currently use PHP (with some homemade Database/Templating/Routing utilities) for fast developement (little web projects for friends or just a "week end thing").

I also use Python for any other purposes (console programs, scripts, long-running processes, batches). I had a look at Webpy, Django and Turbogears but I don't feel comfortable with those framework for little web apps.

What's your choice?

8 comments

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asimjalis
Why are you not happy with PHP? What dissatisfies you about it?
noodle
why don't you use a php framework?
adrinavarro
I've tried CakePHP, CodeIgniter and some other PHP frameworks, but I don't feel comfortable with any.

In fact, I just want to build little apps (a few pages, an embedded gmap with some info added through the admin and some mice) in a few hours. Maintaining my own libs is something I'd like to avoid using self-mantained librairies (I don't have enough time to mantain the code), and, why not, learn some new things...

noodle
well, you won't be comfortable or efficient with any new framework or language until you spend the time/effort to get familiar with it.

i like CI for php.

biohacker42
For little web apps? Webpy. Or are your apps not so little? Then I've hard good things about pylons, but I'm not sure how fast to develop it is. Fast compared to learn, use, fast how?
l0nwlf
"HARD good things about PYLONS", quite an interesting view you have. ;)
peterhi
Given that you know and are happy with PHP then I would stick with it. There is no 'one size fits all' answer to this, I develop in Rails and Perl so I find them faster to use than PHP and Java (which I am also familier with).

Other people find Java easier to use, it comes down to what you know.

Just a point of caution, the only 'little web apps' that I know of are the ones that got abandoned, what might seen trivial now could grow quite large and the effort made to use a good framework can pay off down the road.

Also knowing a framework de jour is not a bad thing CV wise.

adrinavarro
With "little web apps", I mean, for example, little sites for some little, local companies (from friends!) that just need to keep a news stream, a map or something like for their clients). I help friends to have "decent" webpages, and not those "frontpage-like" webpages.