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Perl 6 isn't as complex as people make it out to be. I have friends who are race car enthusiasts who could go in to excruciating detail about cars and if you do

by Ovid 11y ago

Perl 6 isn't as complex as people make it out to be. I have friends who are race car enthusiasts who could go in to excruciating detail about cars and if you don't know how to drive, it could seem daunting. The reality is that most of us get in to our car and just drive. That's part of the issue with Perl 6: its proponents get very excited about it and write about all the really cool stuff you can do with it, but for those who don't know the language, it sounds intimidating. Here's a talk I gave at FOSDEM explaining how day-to-day Perl 6 is fairly straightforward and easier than people think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpu-3UF_b48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpu-3UF_b48

recurve28 11y ago
> The reality is that most of us get in to our car and just drive. I don't mean that the internals appear complicated (I wouldn't know anyway), I mean just learning it as a user appears that way. > That's part of the issue with Perl 6: its proponents get very excited about it and write about all the really cool stuff you can do with it, but for those who don't know the language, it sounds intimidating. Yes. But it's not just that; trying to read the Synopses is daunting. It's very easy to get stuck there, try for a while on IRC, then give up. > Here's a talk I gave at FOSDEM ... Thanks for the link, and for the talk.
- raiph 11y ago
  The Synopses are intended for compiler writers. The writing intended for users is at http://doc.perl6.org http://doc.perl6.org.
  - recurve28 11y ago
    Unfortunately, even the docs at doc.perl6.org give me the impression that either the language is extremely complicated, or that the docs leave out too many essential details, or both. I don't wish to pick apart docs here though. I think that what Perl 6 needs if it is to have a chance to succeed is a really good comprehensive and comprehensible tutorial.
    - raiph 11y ago
      Right. Imo Perl 6 ought to be fairly easy to learn -- the basics are simpler than Perl 5 for example -- but several parts, of which doc is one, are still weak enough that this simplicity is currently obscured. If you're interested, I'd be willing to try to personally tutor you (for free of course). I'm raiphmellor at gmail if you want a private email exchange.

by Ovid 11y ago

recurve28 11y ago

> The reality is that most of us get in to our car and just drive. I don't mean that the internals appear complicated (I wouldn't know anyway), I mean just learning it as a user appears that way. > That's part of the issue with Perl 6: its proponents get very excited about it and write about all the really cool stuff you can do with it, but for those who don't know the language, it sounds intimidating. Yes. But it's not just that; trying to read the Synopses is daunting. It's very easy to get stuck there, try for a while on IRC, then give up. > Here's a talk I gave at FOSDEM ... Thanks for the link, and for the talk.

raiph 11y ago
The Synopses are intended for compiler writers. The writing intended for users is at http://doc.perl6.org http://doc.perl6.org.
- recurve28 11y ago
  Unfortunately, even the docs at doc.perl6.org give me the impression that either the language is extremely complicated, or that the docs leave out too many essential details, or both. I don't wish to pick apart docs here though. I think that what Perl 6 needs if it is to have a chance to succeed is a really good comprehensive and comprehensible tutorial.
  - raiph 11y ago
    Right. Imo Perl 6 ought to be fairly easy to learn -- the basics are simpler than Perl 5 for example -- but several parts, of which doc is one, are still weak enough that this simplicity is currently obscured. If you're interested, I'd be willing to try to personally tutor you (for free of course). I'm raiphmellor at gmail if you want a private email exchange.