Re: to perl or not to perl

I have read the other comments I have seen on this, and would add the following:
If I wanted to show a non-Perl programmer how easy Perl is, I would use some of the things you refer to as complicated. For instance:

Well designed objects make your code look easier, not harder, because you can code a high-level interface that hides the complexity of what lies beneath.
You can then surround your code with lots of comments. I use a colorizing editor which greys them out, including when you print. The contrast makes the code look very clean.
Use variables everywhere, especially with meaningful names, rather than implicits: $_ and the like. Unobfuscate your code to the point where, though not self-documenting, it is at least highly readable, especially in the context of its comments.

I think you can make a good case for Perl as a serious development language in an environment that is not exactly Perl-friendly.

Brian - a.k.a. DrSax

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Re: Re: to perl or not to perl by chumley (Sexton) on Jun 08, 2001 at 05:48 UTC
I'll second the part about not using implicit variables. I do this for my own benefit as well, as I am inexperienced enough that I don't always understand what they're going to do. If you can't get away with any object-oriented stuff, try putting must of your functions in subroutines. That way the main part of your program will just be a series of subroutines: `&get_field_ids(); &get_field_values(); &build_message(); &send_email();` [download] If you name the subroutines well, it should be reasonably obvious what's going on, especially if you add comments. Chumley "What are the facts? Again and again and again--what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what 'the stars foretell,' avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable 'verdict of history,' -what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your only clue. Get the facts!" -- Lazarus Long	[reply] [d/l]
Re: to perl or not to perl by Abigail (Deacon) on Jun 09, 2001 at 15:19 UTC
I strongly disagree not using the implicite variables (mainly $_ and @_, but also @ARGV, ARGV, STDIN and STDOUT). Using them all the time adds needless clutter in your program, making it harder to find out what's going on. Do you really think: `@foo = grep {$_ =~ /qux/} @bar;` [download] reads better than `@foo = grep {/qux/} @bar;` [download] It doesn't mean you should always use implicite variables, far from that. But never using them is like writing shell scripts without using pipes. -- Abigail	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Re: to perl or not to perl by chumley (Sexton) on Jun 10, 2001 at 07:44 UTC
I didn't mean that I never use implicit variables. But I still find there are many cases where I find that implicit variables do things I didn't expect. Yes, I understand that there are many ways they can make my code more concise and efficient. But I am also thinking of the people who may come after me and have to maintain my code. AFAIK I am the only Perl programmer at my workplace, so I try to keep things as explicit as possible. As I learn more about Perl I find myself using it more idiomatically. Chumley	[reply]