Should I learn Python or Perl?
Perl may be dying out relative to newer programming
languages like Python.
Then I should go with Python.
Not necessarily.
Perl is built into Unix, so you can always
use it in the Unix / Linux systems.
That's quite a pigeon-hole.
Perl was used when they did a lot of network
prototyping, and it is still used in that
area.
Just because Perl is popular in that area
due to inertia doesn't mean I should learn
it.
It is used for rapid prototyping for IT security.
Other languages can be used for that.
Now Perl does have worse object references
and is more difficult to read if you are reviewing
someone else's code.
That's a problem in almost any programming
language.
Perl Six brings in some new CPAN and object
oriented functions, making the language more
relevant.
Why would I want to learn Python?
Python lets you create apps fast.
You could create a program that takes weeks
in C++ in a day in Python.
I heard the language was easy to use.
It is easy to learn and can do almost anything.
It sounds better than learning Perl, which
is going obsolete.
Another advantage of Python is that it is
still evolving.
If you learn that, you can learn versions
like Jython that are merged with Java and
C.
I see a lot of online discussions about it.
Python has a large online community for advice.
Oh, and it's free, unlike trying to learn
Oracle or MS SQL.
Free is good.
The other advantage of Python is that you
can use it for everything from creating kernels
to building major applications.
It's pretty versatile.
That means it has good job security too.
It's better than stepping into something nearly
obsolete.
Yeah, but people who know Perl can get paid
a fortune to migrate those apps and databases
to something new.
