Sigh.

Yes, templating is a nice solution to a number of problems, and can really clarify your code. But keep in mind it is not always bad. Sometimes a quick-and-dirty solution is easier. Many people like Perl because it enables you to do things that would otherwise take hours to do.

• Object orientation is always better

  In many cases, OO is just a pain in the ass, and a functional interface is better. I really like perl 6's ability to create your own operators.

• Embedding text in scripts is always wrong

  A quick-and-dirty solution can save both time and money. Besides, there's nothing wrong with embedding just a little. In situations where overloaded servers have to be used, templating can be too slow.

• Prototypes should never be used

  Tilly told me why prototypes are bad. And they sure are. But sometimes, they're good. The (&@) for creating map-like syntax, or the () prototype to let perl inline your sub (great for constants).

• Calling external programs when perl can do it is about as wrong as it can get

  There's the quick-and-dirty approach again. Although wrong in many production projects, it can speed up development a lot if you're creating a one-time hack, or a simple sysadmin script.

• XML is the #1 way to store data

  XML is a hype. XML is a nice format to store data in, but there's a lot of ways to do it. I personally dislike pipeline seperated files, but even those can be quite good.

• Never use a regex to grab the filename out of a path

  ($foo = $bar) =~ s!.*/!! is easier than using File::BaseName. The code's not portable, but not all code has to be.

• Death to Dot Star!

  Dot star has a function. If you know what it does, and it does what you want, USE IT.

• Etcetera etcetera

  Many things, including templating are overrated. Some developers (including yours truly) forget there are other solutions that can be as good, or maybe even better in particular cases.

Maybe you're right about this script. Maybe _this_script_ should use a templating solution. Add "in most cases", "in this case" or something like that and you're right.

Keep in mind: TIMTOWTDI, and some ways TDI are better than others, but that doesn't mean the worse ways should be avoided completely.

2;0 juerd@ouranos:~$ perl -e'undef christmas'
Segmentation fault
2;139 juerd@ouranos:~$
[download]

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