Netflix developer Joe Lesko has released a beta version of OWL, a new programming language for server-side Web development. Short for OWL Web Language, OWL has a syntax similar to JavaScript and compiles to PHP. It aims to be more secure than PHP and includes built-in features to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Lesko described OWL as “more of a new, secure interface on top of the same engine underneath.” He added, “But I could see more developers choosing OWL over raw PHP over time, especially for single-developer projects.”