3 ms·

why...... just let old languages die. We've taken lessons from them, and grown. I know there is of are a good amount of financial systems written in COBOL, bu

why...... just let old languages die. We've taken lessons from them, and grown. I know there is of are a good amount of financial systems written in COBOL, but that's because no one has had the guts to rewrite them, not because COBOL is some amazing perfect language. And there are a plethora of other important, reliable systems that are still in perl because no one has had the guts to rewrite them. But I would guess that there are just as many that have been rewritten to python and ruby. And many more that have been written for the first time in those languages. And in the next few years we're going to be in the same place with those sacred cow scripts written in python and ruby. I'm not trying to say that code is wrong. But it isn't productive to claim that we can slap a new version number on a library and claim it's going to satisfy everyone's hopes and dreams. At some point, we need to let our cows die, even if they're sacred.

snapdangle 8y ago
Anyone claiming that Perl 6 is "slapping a new version number on a library" has little credibility with regards to programming language design and history. "Let the past die" might be a great line for Ben Skywalker in a Star Wars movie, but in practical terms you are screeding against a people (Perl programmers) continuing their to develop their culture (Perl). What on earth could this be doing that affects you negatively?
mst 8y ago
perl5 has more explicit and reliable scoping and more flexible and powerful OO than python or ruby, and has had for a decade now. If other languages would actually take the lessons, I'd've switched. Recent javascripts have 'use strict' and 'let' (perl5's 'my') but the errors are at runtime, not compile time, so in terms of maximising productivity perl5 is still my preference - though ES6 is almost an acceptable perl5, and I'm working on some libraries to bridge the remaining feature gaps since apparently nobody else actually wants working OO and proper DRY.
Wwhite 8y ago
s/guts to rewrite them/staff experienced in both languages, with access to the original requirements, and knowledge of said system, in addition to full support from management to swap out working code with fresh, potentially buggy replacements, instead of devoting time to other projects which may actually be profitable/g

snapdangle 8y ago

Anyone claiming that Perl 6 is "slapping a new version number on a library" has little credibility with regards to programming language design and history. "Let the past die" might be a great line for Ben Skywalker in a Star Wars movie, but in practical terms you are screeding against a people (Perl programmers) continuing their to develop their culture (Perl). What on earth could this be doing that affects you negatively?

mst 8y ago

perl5 has more explicit and reliable scoping and more flexible and powerful OO than python or ruby, and has had for a decade now. If other languages would actually take the lessons, I'd've switched. Recent javascripts have 'use strict' and 'let' (perl5's 'my') but the errors are at runtime, not compile time, so in terms of maximising productivity perl5 is still my preference - though ES6 is almost an acceptable perl5, and I'm working on some libraries to bridge the remaining feature gaps since apparently nobody else actually wants working OO and proper DRY.

Wwhite 8y ago

s/guts to rewrite them/staff experienced in both languages, with access to the original requirements, and knowledge of said system, in addition to full support from management to swap out working code with fresh, potentially buggy replacements, instead of devoting time to other projects which may actually be profitable/g