I only know PHP. How do I write a Web application in Python?
I'd say the necessity of this post is <i>why</i> PHP is as popular as it is. With PHP, there are no package managers I have to install; there is no template language to learn; there is often no version control; there is no "framework"; etc. You just drop in a .php file and, most likely, it will just run. If I need a quick dynamic page on my server, it's much easier to do this in PHP than in Python or Ruby.<p>Until Python or Ruby have that kind of simplicity, they can't overtake PHP. While it might not be the kind of design that leads to well-designed web apps or even good code, it is the kind of design that leads to more — especially less technical, or, like me, lazy — users. It's up to the developers of those languages if this is even a market they want. There may need to be something new to do the same job as PHP, but better, without the innumerable warts.