Lambda the Ultimate

Unix's Zoo of Languages
started 2/12/2001; 8:15:14 AM - last post 2/12/2001; 9:23:17 AM

Ehud Lamm - Unix's Zoo of Languages

2/12/2001; 8:15:14 AM (reads: 410, responses: 1)

Unix's Zoo of Languages

ESR of Jargon file fame, is writing an online book on Unix programming. This chapter is about choosing a programming language.

Though it contains some floklore and other unsbstantiated claims, this chapter may be of interest. Quite a few languages are discussed (including Tcl, Elisp and Python). The examples ('case studies') are interesting.

Naturally some remarks are more helpful for understanding the sociology of programming languages than actual technical issues, which are best understood by using the languages and not reading about them (a comment I am sure ESR would agree with).
Posted to general by Ehud Lamm on 2/12/01; 8:17:03 AM

andrew cooke - Re: Unix's Zoo of Languages

2/12/2001; 9:23:17 AM (reads: 416, responses: 0)

Hmmm. So rewriting Perl as Perl 6 is going to kindle new interest in the language...?

It was good reading this piece just after the ESR piece. It's the first time I've heard anyone say Perl was in decline, but he has a point.

[Added after posting: OK, so this should have been posted in the Larry Wall thread, but really, it fits both places.]