Dossy wrote:
...
> On 2002.02.25, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Thanks Dossy -- worked like a charm. I tried the binary method but
apparently
> > binary is not an available command in TCL 7.6 (don't shoot me I'm not the
web
> > admin, I just write the code ;)
...
> It still amazes me how many people are still using Tcl7. No
> wonder most people's knee-jerk reactions when I mention tcl
> are "oh my god, what a horrible and outdated language" -- sure,
> when you use a language in the year 2002 that was superceded
> years ago then compare it to a bleeding-edge language like
> Java or Python, of course you're going to think it sucks ...
Ah yes, the lifespan of Tcl 7.6 has certainly been longer than many
expected, or perhaps wanted ... There are so many reasons to upgrade,
and very, very few not to. At the Tcl level, script compatability
was near 100% (it was Tk 4.x -> 8.x that was more sensitive). The
main reason is speed. Check out the data at:
http://wiki.tcl.tk/1611.html
That indicates a 6x overall speedup from 7.6 -> 8.0. I'm now working
on 8.4 to push that boundary even further (already beating 8.0 by 20%
and we're not done yet).
Then of course there are the new features. More advanced regexp, new
string functions, transparent unicode support throughout, 'binary',
'namespace', more 'file' commands, ...
Recall that the last patch release of 7.6 was in January 1997! A lot
has happened since then.
Jeff Hobbs The Tcl Guy
Senior Developer http://www.ActiveState.com/
Tcl Support and Productivity Solutions
