[danans]

I think the implication is that PHP is a language that has been accessible to those who didn't join the programming profession via the traditional academic route (CS, CE, EE, or Math degree from a University).

And that's pretty well borne out by its history, and is part of PHP's enduring appeal to many people who don't have formal educational backgrounds in the computing sciences.

[tonyedgecombe]

I wonder what it is about PHP that has led to this and whether you could recreate it in a new language without the historical inconsistencies and traps.

[danans]

Some combination of:

- fully interpreted

- very weakly typed

- highly applicable to a broadly desired use case, i.e Personal Home Pages (hence the name PHP)

It's not too different from what made Excel such a broadly accessible and impactful 'programming' tool.