I've tried Java and tomcat and TBH, PHP kicks its butt.
Not that I like Java but that's not a fair comparison: Tomcat is a framework for turning Java applications into websites with everything that implies: you get scalabilty but you also get verbosity. Certainly won't get you up and running very quickly.
But what else can you use PHP for? Of course, it's not strictly limited to being embedded in the web server's process, but it's what it's most suited for, which is why it runs WordPress and not Spotify.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
