in reply to web-based client app languages

Well, the demise of the language in one particular application field really shows little, if anything. In a similar vein, here's a survey: What language did you use to develop your new hardware driver?
  • C
  • C++
  • Assembly
  • Visual Basic

    The point being that there's a tool for every job. The thing with Perl is that there's so much more than CGI module. Socket server apps, TCP and UDP servers, neural networks, GUI apps and what not. The rise of PHP and ASP is no surprise - PHP and ASP are better for building dynamic database-driven Web sites. There, I said it. ASP.NET, I wouldn't even know how one would compare it with Perl - it's really an object framework with lots of pre-built components, and the concept of a site being a single app, while Perl is more page-to-page down-to-Earth coding.

    So while there are fewer reasons today to use Perl for large commercial Web projects, each one of those projects requires lots of back-end maintenance and glue code, and that's where Perl comes in handy.

    • Replies are listed 'Best First'.
    Re^2: web-based client app languages
    by zdog (Priest) on Sep 10, 2004 at 21:30 UTC
      The rise of PHP and ASP is no surprise - PHP and ASP are better for building dynamic database-driven Web sites. There, I said it.

      Care to elaborate? I don't know much about ASP, but as far as PHP and my experiences with it, it may be more geared for web/DB programming, but I don't think the fact that Perl is generally a better programming language can be discounted.

      ASP.NET, I wouldn't even know how one would compare it with Perl - it's really an object framework with lots of pre-built components, and the concept of a site being a single app, while Perl is more page-to-page down-to-Earth coding.

      There's no reason Perl can't be used to create a site that functions as a single app. In many ways, Perl Monks (which runs on Everything) is exactly such a web site. I think the power of Perl shows up in being able to actually develop such architectures.

      Anyway, I was just hoping that you could elaborate upon your perspectives a little bit more. Thanks.

      Zenon Zabinski | zdog | zdog@perlmonk.org

    		[reply]

    In Section Meditations