Learning Python
I have been using PHP for web development pretty much everyday now for the past 5 years. This after spending 3 years solidly doing offline Java development. I felt it was finally time to learn something new. After looking at Ruby and Groovy, both of which I have used sparingly in the past, I decided on Python.
I love using PHP but many things annoy me about it: the hundreds of inconsistent methods in the global namespace, cosmetic object-orientation, botched namespace integration, and the whole $this-> and self:: nonsense to name but a few issues.
A change was needed!
I was attracted to Python due to its increased usage (especially online), that it can be used in an offline environment and the fact that in Django and Turbo Gears there are established MVC frameworks already out there.
I’m still learning the basics and found Google’s Python class to be a great introduction. I have also bought both Beginning Python and Practical Django Projects to get me started as well.
I’m looking forward to creating a few small sites in Python and maybe rewriting some of the many PHP command line scripts I have running on various servers. This should serve as a good introduction before tackling some larger web site builds.