11–20 of 96 posts
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
Anyway, what I'm getting that is 4 years is a pretty short amount of time now that Larry Wall has made me think about it.
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
One of my big takeaways from this article is Larry's view on the history of language. He was quite serious when he compared Ada to English, and I find it really interesting to think about Perl 100 years from now. Will it still be around in some form? Might it be a bigger language than English? Might the notion of a "small" programming language being the ideal be somewhat quaint when a CPU with 4GB of integrated memor…
There is a really excellent SF novel 'A Deepness in the Sky' by Vernor Vinge.
It's a few thousand years from now, and one really important job is "Programmer-Archeologist". Their job is to grub around in libraries, find an already existing solution, adapt it to present needs. This is important because without quality automation running your spaceship, you could die.
There are hints that some of these libraries are really old: an off-hand comment is made referencing what must be unix epoch.
wherein Larry Wall foresees the future: "I think when the new JavaScript engines come out we'll probably see renewed interest in a JavaScript backend." - December 6, 2007.
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
"I had a hard time characterizing this wonderful book. It explains the fundamentals, but it's not an introductory book like Learning Perl. It covers almost every feature of the Perl 5 language, but it's not a reference book like Programming Perl. It explains common idioms, but it's not a guide to Perl 5 fluency like Effective Perl Programming. It contains many practical suggestions, but it's not a book of tips like Perl Hacks.
I can only describe it as a "textbook". If I had to pick a single book to teach Perl 5, this is the one I'd choose. As I read it, I was reminded of the first time I read K&R (C Programming Language) and how much learning was packed into it. (It's the only college programming text I still have). In a slim 250 pages, Modern Perl obsoletes most of my shelf of Perl 5 books. It's not intended for a complete novice to programming (any more than K&R was), but in the hands of a competent programmer or a diligent student it will teach everything that one needs to know to write Perl 5 well."
[0] http://onyxneon.com/books/modern_perl/
[1] http://www.amazon.com/review/R1EAHI4GHDLQ96/ref=cm_cr_dp_per...
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
Ignore the semantic games other responses play. If you're asking "Has anyone released an implementation of Perl 6 that's suitable for everyday use by someone who isn't interested in developing Perl 6 itself?", the answer is no.
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
At the moment Perl 6 specification gives a good evolution map for Perl 5 development. So you need not to have to ever worry about Perl 6.
Perl 5 is a solid language in itself. Perl has been amazingly useful since almost 25 years now. And anybody who denies this is simply trolling. Its useful for almost anything to everything. From scripting, to application development, to prototyping to building reliable applications in any domain.
Perl adapts to nearly every programming paradigm out there. Object oriented, functional, declarative you say it Perl has it. Its amazingly flexible, easy to learn and extensible.
You also get to benefit from the community experience and knowledge accumulated over years. You get the power of CPAN. There are also amazing resources to learn Perl.
Its a tool that you will never stop being in love with.
Those of us who have used Perl and pushed its boundaries to get amazing stuff done over years, even now can't write down words to describe its greatness. We can only tell you how great it is, but when you see it yourself you will know it.
But the position of any new Perl programmer is enviable to say at the least. He stands at the gates of a city which is going to take him to places he has never seen and experiences he has never been through. Most of them are going to change his life for ever.
I would think that by 2007 Larry Wall would have seen DrScheme (now DrRacket). You can't get a better onramp than that.
I'm a python programmer and this article really makes me interested in Perl. The only problem is that Perl 6 haven't shipped yet in more then 4 years since this article was written, have it?
One of my big takeaways from this article is Larry's view on the history of language. He was quite serious when he compared Ada to English, and I find it really interesting to think about Perl 100 years from now. Will it still be around in some form? Might it be a bigger language than English? Might the notion of a "small" programming language being the ideal be somewhat quaint when a CPU with 4GB of integrated memor…
Given those goals, Perl as a language has a long bright future. Because flexible and extensible languages evolve their way out of time.
Compared to all languages in its class, Perl hasn't broken backwards compatibility since past 25 years. Python had to break it for some very simple syntax changes. Perl has never done it, not even once in past 25 years. That is quite a feat considering so much syntax has been added to the language since then. Perl 5 has also found a way to add more syntax without dealing with the core by modules like Devel::Declare.
So Perl evolution is set for many years. You will see it evolve grow. New neat ideas and many like Moose will find their way into Perl.
Basically what makes it special is its hackable, flexible and extensible. And such languages generally stay around for a long time.