PHP Scale Codec and API RFP

[Swader]

PHP is extremely popular. It makes no sense to not have a library for communicating with Substrate from it.

[Noc2]

Looks good. I just have one comment: Could you integrate the “Status: open”? (see https://github.com/w3f/General-Grants-Program/blob/master/rfp-proposal/suggestion-template.md#title-of-the-rfp-proposal) I recently added this so that people are aware of which rfps are still open and which are already done.

[Swader]

Done

[Noc2]

And merged ;-) Thanks!

[mmagician]

PHP is extremely popular

Depends on how you look at it. While many websites might still be using it, my personal preference would be to shy away from a tech stack which still relies on PHP.
I think this is especially true for new web applications.
Also, in terms of popularity among developers, it has been pretty low in the rankings in the recent years.

[Swader]

Depends on how you look at it

Objectively and statistically. The community is second only to JS.

shy away from a tech stack which still relies on PHP

Why?

[mmagician]

Objectively and statistically. The community is second only to JS.

My point of reference was https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2020#technology-most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-languages
Quick google search presents, as always, a ton of different views, so I'm sure in some ranking it's higher, whereas it's lower in others. The one above doesn't take community size into account, for example.

Though I must say my gut developer feeling underestimated the present popularity in some rankings.

I'm not saying I wouldn't support PHP developers building with Polkadot, but that I personally wouldn't go as far as proposing it be built.