I disagree that these all mean the language is too difficult for beginners. It might be easier to learn a language with a small core syntax (like C or Python), but to do useful things you'll also have to get to know libraries and extensions, just so you can do something useful.
You'll never find a language that allows you to Do Useful Things without having to learn a few things here and there.
The same goes for natural language. You can go to the Cairo Bazaar (presuming you don't speak Arabic) and buy some things by pointing and holding up fingers and occasionally flashing the appropriate number of Egyptian Pounds. You'll have a more difficult time getting directions to your hotel if all you can do is point and grunt.
Granted, some people aren't interested in having to learn much. And, granted, there are parts of Perl that frustrate me (the tricks you have to go through to inherit instance data in objects, for one).
The thing that bothers me about articles like this is the idea that there's some terrible, hideous complexity lurking underneath Perl's friendly Do What I Mean facade, and that's somehow inappropriate for programmers. That's simply a matter of education -- especially when dealing with the second great hurdle of Perl, the difference between scalar and list context.
In reply to Re: Re: Perl's warts
by chromatic
in thread Perl's warts
by grinder
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