Name: Perl Programmer !eeUOKcssdY 2009-12-19 1:47
I am a programmer. I have dealt in many languages, but I have ended up with Perl. Perl is the best language for implementing general programs.
Perl is fast. It's no C/C++, but it's head and shoulders above comparable high-level languages.
Perl is memory-managed.
Perl supports just the right level of features. It doesn't have C++'s feature fetish.
Perl has an expansive, (mostly) cross-platform API. It's not perfect, but it sure beats writing everything yourself.
Perl and its API are constantly being improved.
In any program of significant size, the problem isn't writing your Bloom filters or splay trees with elegant syntax. It's a problem of communication with other programmers (including library-writers). Perl's strict typing, rigid structure, documentation system, and excellent developer tools (aka Vim) all help you out.
It's not perfect. Sure, first-class functions would be nice, but you never use them except on your homework assignment where you pass the comparator to a sort function. If you're building a little toy program, it's a pain to put everything in an object, but you'll be thankful you did once that program gets big enough. The syntax sucks, but it's familiar. Sure, Vim is slow, but suck it up big balls.
Perl isn't perfect, but it's the best in practice.
Perl is fast. It's no C/C++, but it's head and shoulders above comparable high-level languages.
Perl is memory-managed.
Perl supports just the right level of features. It doesn't have C++'s feature fetish.
Perl has an expansive, (mostly) cross-platform API. It's not perfect, but it sure beats writing everything yourself.
Perl and its API are constantly being improved.
In any program of significant size, the problem isn't writing your Bloom filters or splay trees with elegant syntax. It's a problem of communication with other programmers (including library-writers). Perl's strict typing, rigid structure, documentation system, and excellent developer tools (aka Vim) all help you out.
It's not perfect. Sure, first-class functions would be nice, but you never use them except on your homework assignment where you pass the comparator to a sort function. If you're building a little toy program, it's a pain to put everything in an object, but you'll be thankful you did once that program gets big enough. The syntax sucks, but it's familiar. Sure, Vim is slow, but suck it up big balls.
Perl isn't perfect, but it's the best in practice.