Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Interview: Larry Wall

linuxvoice.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 107 posts

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#41

Post by colechristensen »

elchief wrote: post #38

Would I be nuts to pick perl over python as my main scripting/server admin language? I am a postgres, openbsd, data/text processing guy. OpenBSD is 40% perl. Postgres uses perl for its builds. Perl seems to have better text processing capabilities. But it seems to be dying out compared to python.

You would be reasonable.

Perl often fits in better with the 'advanced shell scripting' type of work than Python or Ruby. It has more libraries for unix-like admin tasks, but less common support for external APIs (which more commonly support Java/Ruby/Python/etc.) so it may be an uphill battle if you use a _lot_ of external APIs.

Perl won't ever 'die out', especially if you write good perl that doesn't depend on flashy popularity-train things. It's far too ingrained in many unix derivatives.

If you're a server admin, you're missing out if you don't know perl. Choosing perl might be a little less common today, but it's totally reasonable if you want it.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#42

Post by Agathos »

mlitchard wrote: post #29
amagumori wrote: post #22

i like the recursive sentence "you could have something that you think of as a noun, but you can verb it"

I'm a bear of very little brain, could you explain the recursive properties of this sentence? I don't see them.

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/01/25

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#43

Post by aheilbut »

mlitchard wrote: post #29
amagumori wrote: post #22

i like the recursive sentence "you could have something that you think of as a noun, but you can verb it"

I'm a bear of very little brain, could you explain the recursive properties of this sentence? I don't see them.

It's self-referencing, but I agree that this is not strictly recursive.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#44

Post by merrilymeredith »

elchief wrote: post #38

Would I be nuts to pick perl over python as my main scripting/server admin language? I am a postgres, openbsd, data/text processing guy. OpenBSD is 40% perl. Postgres uses perl for its builds. Perl seems to have better text processing capabilities. But it seems to be dying out compared to python.

They're both very easy, fun languages, and decent fluency in one will give you a good foundation to get into the other. And going beyond roll-your-own server admin stuff, I do enjoy both Rex (perl) and Ansible (python).

I don't have an off-the-cuff rec for a python book, but Modern Perl (2014) by chromatic is available online, isn't very long, and should give you a chance to test the waters and decide if that's the way you'd like to go.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#45

Post by elchief »

merrilymeredith wrote: post #44
elchief wrote: post #38

Would I be nuts to pick perl over python as my main scripting/server admin language? I am a postgres, openbsd, data/text processing guy. OpenBSD is 40% perl. Postgres uses perl for its builds. Perl seems to have better text processing capabilities. But it seems to be dying out compared to python.

They're both very easy, fun languages, and decent fluency in one will give you a good foundation to get into the other. And going beyond roll-your-own server admin stuff, I do enjoy both Rex (perl) and Ansible (python). I don't have an off-the-cuff rec for a python book, but Modern Perl (2014) by chromatic is available online, isn't very long, and should give you a chance to test the waters and decide if that's the w…

Ya, Rex is great.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#46

Post by giaour »

eli wrote: post #26
logicallee wrote: post #23

I had to check the year on the article - "He’s the creator of Perl, a programming language that’s widely regarded as the glue holding the internet together " was arguably true in 1999 - 16 years ago.

I get what you're saying, but if Perl magically stopped running today I think there's a legit chance the Internet would cease functioning.

https://twitter.com/devops_borat/status/248770195580125185

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#47

Post by runewell »

I miss Perl. It was the first programming language I learned as a kid. I read the entire Perl for dummies book when I was 14 and uploaded my first script to a "cgi-bin" shortly after. Thanks Larry for your contributions!

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#48

Post by Renaud »

eli wrote: post #26
logicallee wrote: post #23

I had to check the year on the article - "He’s the creator of Perl, a programming language that’s widely regarded as the glue holding the internet together " was arguably true in 1999 - 16 years ago.

I get what you're saying, but if Perl magically stopped running today I think there's a legit chance the Internet would cease functioning.

And many banks too.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#49

Post by tootie »

mirceal wrote: post #37

the man is a legend. Perl was awesome when it first came out. Its time has passed but you can see Perl's influence in many things we use and take for granted today. favorite writing: http://www.wall.org/~larry/pm.html

The first time I saw "use strict"; at the top of a JavaScript file, I wiped a little tear for Larry Wall.

Re: Interview: Larry Wall

#50

Post by scottw »

codeshaman wrote: post #8

I love the shirt he's wearing in those pictures. What is it with geeks and psychedelic/hippie outfits ? Is it because of the patterns and colors, eccentricity or because of real involvement with the counterculture/psychedelia ? It's always fascinated and intrigued me. Any people 'in the know' care to elaborate on that ?

Someone asked him a similar question at the last YAPC in Salt Lake City in June. "What's with the [colorful] shirts?" He replied, "I like the colors."
Post reply on HN