Any language can be done in a write once, read never
format. Readabilty is a function of the person writing the code, the language
can only help you accomplish what you are trying to do and are capable of. If I
saw code that was tough to read, in any language, I stick the blame firmly with
the person who wrote it, where it belongs. I have run into situations where I
have seen thousands of lines of _vbscript_ that I simply threw away because the
logic couldn't be followed due to how the script was written, generally I
replaced it with hundreds of lines of clearly written perl that anyone could
read. If you write perl well, it can be nearly self documenting. But that isn't
enough, you still comment the code to explain intent and what the purpose of
different things is.
If I had to argue for a least readable language, I
would argue for cmd batch, but again, it is about the person writing the code,
not the language the code is written in. I have even seen ASM that was written
so cleanly and well with comments that anyone could follow
it.
I think the problem a lot of people have with perl is its
flexibility. TIMTOWTDI. It is the core design of the language, a loop can be
done in many different ways instead of 1 or 2 ways that someone may be used to
seeing. For some people, giving flexibility to them is like giving them a longer
and longer rope to hang themselves.
As I once read in one of the books or heard from a friend
or something... Perl is like playing the guitar, you can usually do something
pretty quickly, but the really cool stuff will take practice. But on the
positive side, it is possible to do the really cool stuff and usually in a way
that makes you feel good.
I just
had a bit of a conversation with one of the Exchange Dev folks who was saying
that with Monad, if I want to get some piece of info about a mailbox from
an Exchange 12 server I have to return all of the info from the server and then
filter out what I don't want to use. The reason given was that is the Monad
way... I visualize that like trying to output whenChanged of an object and
having to pull all attributes of the object to do so. There is a tremendous hit
to efficiency if that is the way it is done. The big thing that scared me though
was the comment... that is the Monad way... What is the way? To assume you have
unlimited bandwidth and time so you can be fat and
inefficient?
joe[1]
[1]
Slowly emerging from being way too submerged in work and other things...
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Roger Seielstad
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 2:28 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] disabling users
Honestly, I'd avoid perl like the plague. Its about the
least readable language on the planet - especially if you haven't touched a
script for a few months.
As was already suggested, python is a pretty good cross platform option.
--------
Roger Seielstad
E-mail Geek
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom Kern
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 3:56 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ActiveDir] disabling users
you don't think one can get by in IT with just one lang?
can't you do everything in perl that you can do in _vbscript_ and then
some?
I'm sure you can get by on windows with just perl.
i'm in a multi platform enviorment and frankly i just don't have the time
to learn both _vbscript_ and perl.
i would end up just knowing both a little and badly.
my brain can't keep jumping from one to the other and in scripting, if you
don't use one lang for a while, you forget it.
in which case i'd just end up bugging you guys on this list again for
examples.
i'd like to get to the point where i can do it myself and trying to learn
both will never work for me.
i have a hard enough time keeping as much as i can about windows and AD and
exchange and some linux stuff in my head.
2 scripting langs will make my head explode. i'll never remeber them at
all.
i just need to learn one and devote myself to learning it well instead of
being a scripting jack of all trades and master of none.
as to perl books, then where can one lern COM on perl?
thanks alot guys!
On 9/21/05, Brian
Desmond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
Joe Richards might know some Win32 Perl resources.
_vbscript_ isn't that hard, really. If you know the COM & ADSI stuff for Perl
as far as methods, names, etc, its just a different syntax for using it.
_vbscript_ you have the advantage of the technet scriptcenter which has
examples complete enough to copy and paste together and run.
I'm not a CS major either, I don't even have any formal training in this
field. The only things I've been taught in a classroom are how to read,
write, and do some math. Everything I know I learnt going to work everyday
and doing new things, asking questions here and there around this list and
other places. I realized I needed to learn _vbscript_ and so I started
tackling projects with _vbscript_s, and with a bit of work I got to be pretty
good at it. I still need a copy of the platform sdk on my other monitor to
remember methods, parameters, etc, but I know the syntax. That said, if I'm
feeling lazy I still go and piece things together with scriptcenter
snippets.
My point here is that it would probably be long term beneficial to you to at
least be able to do simple things in _vbscript_ like read a file, run a
external command, etc. As I said in my first message, if you post what you
have, I'll try and edit it as an example for you.
Thanks,
Brian Desmond
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c - 312.731.3132
_____
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Kern, Tom
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:30 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] disabling users
I only have time to learn one scripting lang.
i figured perl is the better way to go as i have to work with linux and
solaris as well.
know of any good docs,books,sites on perl and COM+ or adsi?
something that will teach you both like the _vbscript_ resources do?
i really think there is a market for perl and AD/win32 out there that is
untapped.
O'reilly has let most of their win32 perl books become outdated and stop at
Win NT as has Dave Roth.
I'm not a programmer and i don't have time to learn multipe scripting langs,
so i always thought perl would be the best way to go.
I find it as approachable as _vbscript_ but unlike _vbscript_, I don't find many
rescources for using it on win32 systems.
I'm afraid learning perl and working with windows might be an uphill battle.
are there resources for teaching you how to use perl with
cdo,wmi,adsi,ado,etc?
i'm not a total newbie to perl, i've used it on linux but i've never really
done much on windows with activestate.
and as i've said, i'm not a programmer and i didn''t major in comp sci, so a
lot of this stuff is not second nature to me and hasn't been pounded in for
years.
so jumping from lang to lang for me is not really an option.
thanks
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Desmond [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
Sent: Wed 9/21/2005 2:46 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc:
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] disabling users
