Perl or Python?

y2kwizard · Post by **y2kwizard** » Thu May 08, 2003 10:13 pm

Hey, all you programming jocks, I have a question for you.

Which of these two languages do you prefer? have you had more success with Perl or with Python? I've heard that Python is beginning to take over a lot of what Perl's doing, but I'm sure Perl's still used very frequently.

I'm a beginning programmer about to dive deeper into Java (so I can learn the language of the corporate drone for job security

) and then either Perl or Python. So which do you prefer?

Ean · Post by **Ean** » Thu May 08, 2003 10:23 pm

Forget Perl and Python... C/C++ is the language of the gods!

Stoic · Post by **Stoic** » Thu May 08, 2003 11:03 pm

PERL/CGI for my use was rendered obsolete when PHP 4.0 was released. I've never worked in Python but it's installed on this computer.

NME · Post by **NME** » Fri May 09, 2003 2:05 am

BASIC. The only tool you need.

Fact: Volunteer Firework is glamorous and well paid.
FACT: Volunteer Fire Fighters Get their own sirens for their car!
FAAAAAAACT!: We can use em whenever we want.

klinky · Post by **klinky** » Fri May 09, 2003 3:45 am

Most languages like perl, python, java, php are based off of C++ syntax. So I would suggest you just learn the basics of c++, then move into another language from there.

I would definitely reccomend PHP over perl or python.

~klinky

MorningSon · Post by **MorningSon** » Fri May 09, 2003 3:52 am

PHP is great. I love it.

I have heard many horror stories about PERL

go to http://www.bash.org and search for PERL you should get some funny results.

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Fri May 09, 2003 7:44 am

People: Perl is not just designed for the Web! In fact, it wasn't even designed for the Web!

PHP was, and so I'm not surprised that it outclasses Perl in that respect. However, Perl is still useful for a huge variety of tasks - I use it for automating all kinds of things, from simple tasks to complex scheduling things that can't be gracefully handled by, say, cron.

If you want to learn a clean language, though, forget what everyone else has said and go learn Python.

y2kwizard · Post by **y2kwizard** » Fri May 09, 2003 7:53 pm

yay! Leave it to trythil to come through!

Yeah, I knew that perl and python have more uses than Web scripting languages. I think that I'll go out and learn some Python, then! Thanks for the help!

klinky · Post by **klinky** » Sat May 10, 2003 10:42 am

While trythil is correct about perl/python being more than just web dev languages. They don't serve such a robust variety of applications on Windows machines as they do on a Linux box.

Also most people learn perl for CGI scripting. PHP, I believe is much better suited than perl is for such a task. PHP is just shinier too :p

~klinky