In Ruby:

    # Save a file
    f.write(str)

    # Read a file
    f.read

    # Trim whitespace
    " foo ".strip

    # Print anything
    puts 1 # even numbers!
    puts File.open("foo", "w+") # even file handles!
    puts [1, 2, 3, 4] # even arrays!
    puts [].class # even classes!
    puts [].method(:size) # even functions!

    # Dump an array (see above)

Python is similarly clear:

    # Save a file
    f.write(str)

    # Read a file
    f.read()

    # Trim whitespace
    " foo ".strip()

    # Print anything
    print 1 # even numbers!
    print open("foo", "w+") # even file handles!
    print [1, 2, 3, 4] # even arrays!
    print [].__class__ # even classes!
    puts [].remove # even functions!

    # Dump an array (see above)

Ruby and Python are extremely well documented. They have great standard libraries which wrap existing C functions too...and wrap them in a consistent fashion. They are also the second and third most popular language on Github, respectively...which means tons of great libraries to solve almost any problem you can think of.

Ruby and Python are just as easy to use as PHP.