in reply to Re^3: pissed off about functional programming
in thread pissed off about functional programming

Well, there's my crazy mistake of trying to write: 
foreach $x (...)

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when I have to pop back to the cshell. Thank goodness for command history. {grin}

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker
Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.

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Re^5: pissed off about functional programming
by Roy Johnson (Monsignor) on Apr 25, 2005 at 15:06 UTC
    I can certainly understand Perl-flavored syntax errors, but I can't very well see a Perl accent in writing valid code in other languages. I think an accent comes from moving from a less feature-rich language to a more feature-rich language, and not using the new features. Because Perl is so feature-rich, and especially because of TIMTOWTDI, there is no Perl accent. Instead, a Perl programmer might exhibit a C accent or a shell-scripter's accent.
    Caution: Contents may have been coded under pressure.
[reply]
      I think an accent comes from moving from a less feature-rich language to a more feature-rich language, and not using the new features.

      While Perl is a nice wide language it still has it's restrictions, corners and peculiar mind set. I know I have to unbend my mind from Perl when I wander off into other languages. Some examples of my Perl accent include:

      • I keep forgetting about meta-classes when I amble over to Python or CLOS.
      • I have to remind myself that macros are useful in Lisp
      • I have an awful temptation to sling everything into the local equivalent of a hash even when more appropriate data structures are available.
      • Since currying is such a pain in Perl I tend to forget to use it in languages that support it nicely.
      • etc.

[reply]
        You are right that Perl lacks (or discourages) certain things from other languages, so maybe the feature-rich distinction isn't so important as the TIMTOWDI distinction. Many languages try to do everything with one or two key tools. Because Perl borrows tools from so many other languages, I still question whether it has its own accent.

        You can look unfamiliar with a language without having another language's accent. Of the things you list, throwing things in a hash might be one that is distinctively Perl-tinged — something that might make someone who reviews your code say, "You're trying to write Perl in Mumble!"

        Caution: Contents may have been coded under pressure.
[reply]
      (define print display)
(define $scalar 9)
(define @arr #(4 3 2))
(define %hash '((a . 1) (b . 2)))

(define (main args)
    (print (+ $scalar (vector-ref @arr 1)))
    (newline)
    (print (assoc 'b %hash)))

      [download]
      Macros to turn @arr[1] into (vector-ref @arr 1)) are left as an exercise to the reader.
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