Being able to successfully use something doesn't mean it was a good idea. Even though it's common, I don't think referring to programming languages as tools is

Being able to successfully use something doesn't mean it was a good idea. Even though it's common, I don't think referring to programming languages as tools is actually accurate. A programming language is more like a building material. And this is an important distinction. Let's look at scenario. Say Fred hired Bob to write a program for him. Bob decides to use PHP. After finishing his work, Bob moves on to other projects. A while later, Fred realizes he wants some changes made to his program. So he hires George. George can't make changes to the program in Haskell. He has to modify the PHP source. The reason I bring this up is that the choice of programming language is important, and is not the same as the choice of tools (e.g. your text editor). You can build a house out of paper mache, but chances are you'll end up regretting it.