[aclug-L] Re: TCL vs PERL

["Lrs v.d.Ast" <mrprenzl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

One tendency that I've noticed especially in the Unix/Linux
environment is how tools tend to gain weight, size, and strength as
time goes on. Did you know you can do GUI and object-oriented
programming with Korn shell? Korn is a prime example of a modest tool
gaining immense application breadth. Perl has been a classic at
overgrowing its initial territory. The problem with ever-expanding
power and application is in making an objective analysis of whether or
not the tool is really right for the job in the first place--never
mind that it can probably do the job. Capability is rarely the problem
in Unixland. Typically, someone gets to guru status at some tool and
then tries to funnel the entire world through that tool. The classic
Microsoft-land case of the secretary using Excel for database is
mimicked in the Unix world by the C/Perl/shell programmer who writes
monstrous flat file-based databases from scratch--long after a SQL
package should have been called in. Still, Perl is the first serious
bridge between a shell and the C programming worlds (two indispensible
tools in Unix-land). For that reason it is very successful and
popular. One of the skills I hope to develop is enough experience in
multiple environments to really know when to use what.

L.v.d.A.

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