if you can't get good string manipulation library for java...as the built-in routines are a pain and take lots more lines of code than perl...then go perl. But, like you already mentioned, it may be more polictically correct for you to go to java. if they don't mind you taking some initiative, then you could re-write a little part of the current system in java and show them how much more messy it is than in perl...maybe they'll listen; or maybe they won't -- depends if the order came from high above or not.