[vox-tech] hold on to your hats - perl vs python

[Charles Polisher]

On Fri, Jul 19, 2002 at 11:09:54AM -0700, Micah Cowan wrote:
> Jeff Newmiller writes:
>  > On Thu, 18 Jul 2002, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
>  >=20
>  > > jeff newmiller got me thinking about switching from perl to python a=
s my
>  > > main scripting language of choice.
>  > >=20
>  > > i'd like to hear the opinions of anyone who has actually MADE the sw=
itch
>  > > from perl to python as their scripting language of choice.
>=20
> Sorry to respond to Jeff's mail, but I seem to have accidentally
> deleted the original or something.
>=20
> To be honest, I think they're both great languages: there are some
> things in each that I really love - and there are some things in each
> I really hate. Python has several things which make strong
> software engineering principles easier to follow - however, their
> lexical scoping rules are slightly bizarre and impractical, regexes
> are less powerful, and there are some other things that bother
> me. Perl is *fun*, but there's too much magic under the hood, no real
> typing, and it's somewhat harder to write truly disciplined software
> in.

And lets not forget awk - a pleasant, well behaved,
easily learned language. It's yet one more great Unix
tool for manipulating text and the odd system-admin
chore. It's been around alot longer than Ruby or Python
(maybe even longer than Perl), which is a plus. I'm
an OOP advocate, but most simple text-processing and
sys- admin doesn't lend itself neatly to OOP style
so those benefits of OOperl, Ruby & Python seem
dubious.=20

>=20
> I think each of them are very useful, and I would happily use one or
> the other, depending on the circumstances. I don't agree with the
> common line of thinking which pits them as rivals - I think they are

> both assets to a programmers tool-belt. Pick the best tool for the
> job: always.

Amen!

>=20
> My 2=A2,
> Micah

Chuck Polisher

--=20
The saving grace of humor: if you fail, no one is laughing at you.