I don't see perl being used for the systems control software in a nuclear power station.
I realize you are half-joking here, but still, I have seen this exact same sentence quite a few times now so I will answer it here.
I don't think the language used for the systems control software in a nuclear power station is really relevant. I would bet that along the ages such systems have been written in assembly language, Fortran, probably COBOL, C, C++, possibly ADA... none of which strike me as being really "safer" than Perl, whatever "safer" might mean. All that matters is that the development methodology is sound, that the software is tested extensively and that the developers know what they are doing. Perl, maybe with a touch of C for those really time-critical bits, would do just fine there.
And BTW, I have never seen the code for such a control system, but I have been in contact with people that manage it, and believe me, it looks like a huge mess, just like any other project I have seen that involves dozens of subcontractors and hundreds of developers.
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Bah! Of course it can be used in a large industrial setting. At my prior place of employment, we were using it all over the place. Please see my write up at: How we use Perl.
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Oh dear. You are taking this much too seriously! I was merely anthropormorphising a computer language.
I saw Perl sitting at a desk wearing slacks and a comfortable jumper rather than in a factory wearing overalls and welders goggles. C on the other hand is a highly trained individual who does his job really well but if you push him over the edge he will go haywire and people could get hurt.
Suggestion for a new meditation -> If X were a person, they would be like... where X is a computer language. (I guess it has been done though!)
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Hmm, I would go with this description with a few additions.
The "C Guy" has a 'fisulation' on his side that allows his friends to play with his 'guts' when they need to (or just when they want to have fun with him).
The "C++ Guy" has the same type-of fistulation as his father and grand-father had.
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