Madeline Schnapp wrote:
>
> I just read an article (which is like dozens of articles I have read
> recently) in Enterprise Systems Journal, June 2000 touting how wonderful
> Java is. I would like to summarize the article's premises below and the
> reasons given for Java's wonderfulness and respond (with your considerable
> input) praising the virtues of Perl. However, not being a Perl programmer
> but an intelligent advocate I need your help. We are doing quite a lot of
> advocacy work for Perl these days and would like to do a piece that goes
> along with a mailer.
>
> I am very tired of the ubiquitous visibility of Java and the lack thereof
> for Perl. We at O'Reilly do have some pull in this area and we are
> certainly trying. We hope to correct this a tiny bit with our Perl success
> stories but you all can certainly help with responses to the items below.
I am glad that I am not the only one getting tired of this. We need a
good marketing strategy, and people who have the money and power to
market this wonderful, powerful language.
Let me also say that the company I work for is moving towards the Java
platform for many of the larger applications also. The reasoning, "it
is easier to find Java programmers". Honest, that is what I was told.
> 1. Java will have increased penetration into the "enterprise" computing
> environment.
Perl is there already, just many people don't know it. Maybe they
should start being informed. How many "enterprise computing
environments" (*nix) come WITH Perl? A lot.
> 2. Access to information will become more fluid as the limitations on
> bandwidth become a thing of the past.
Great! What does this have to do with Java?
> 3. More and more applications will be hosted via applications service
> providers (ie. ecommerce backbones, financial processing, etc.).
Maybe getting some VC's to fund a couple open source, Perl powered,
ASP's would be a good thing! Some of the largest, and busiest sites on
the internet run Perl. Slashdot anyone?
> 4. The move away from exclusive use of the desktop PC and to wireless devices.
This is great, but have you every typed a URL into a phone?!
> The article states that Java is wonderful because:
>
> 1. WAP compliant. Sun's wonderful revolutionary technology called J2ME,
> Java 2 Micro Edition was developed using WAP technology. The claim is that
> with this standard, Java will become one of the most ubiquitous programming
> languages in the enterprise, on a par with NT in terms of its install base.
Perl is WAP compliant too! All the programmer needs to do is generate
WAP compliant code. Hell, Visual Basic could be WAP compliant. The
Perl modules will be developed when there is a real need.
> 2. Small Size. Java's small size and write once/run anywhere nature makes
> Java ideal for WAP platforms.
Wow, Perl applications are generally smaller, and much quicker to
develop. Oh yes, they also run on MORE platforms than Java.
> 3. Compatibility. Server-side Java programs can be run on any type of
> hardware which allows enterprises a great deal of flexibility when it comes
> to hardware choices.
Yes, but server-side Perl programs can be run on MORE platforms! Even
MORE flexibility.
> 4. Large distributed programming environments. Java is ideal for large
> distributed development environments where many programming teams are
> developing pieces of large programs that are "glued" together.
This sounds a lot like Perl modules to me...
> 5. Security. Java security is built into its architecture. Wireless
> applications will require the ability to down-load code updates,
> necessitating extreme security. Of all the potential programming
> languages, Java is the most secure.
#!/usr/bin/perl -T
> 6. Infrastructure. Java has a strong enough infrastructure to build out
> large distributed systems. Built-in multi-threading networking, and file
> input/output make Java the best choice for quickly building network-enabled
> applications. These advantages, when combined with Enterprise Java Beans
> (EJB), allow the enterprise to create large distributed systems with far
> less effort than with comparable technologies.
I just can't buy this. Nice buzzwords though. Maybe we should come up
with a catchy name for modules... Hmmm... Camel droppings, no - that
would never catch on...
> 7. Reusable code. EJB can be reused or bought from developers for faster
> deployments.
Again, Perl modules are reusable. THAT is why we have CPAN!!!
> The article concludes with the following:
>
> "Java will soon make major inroads into the enterprise marketspace.
> Businesses need ways to improve efficiency and streamline all of their
> processes, and Java is one of the only technologies on the horizon that has
> major potential for solving these problems. Simply stated, Java is what
> will drive the next generation of enterprise computing".
Wow, I feel like I am in a time warp. Wasn't this being said when Java
first came out? Java has been saying this for years hoping that someday
everyone would buy in to what they are saying. Unfortunately, many
managers have heard it over and over and are starting to believe it. We
need to somehow prove otherwise.
Large, successful projects to use as reference are helpful. The success
stories are great, but we need more *proof*. Even though Perl is a very
proven language, we are continually having to prove it again and again.
Why?!
We have some great opportunities to network and possibly map out some
strategies. YAPC 19100 and TPC 4.0 are just around the corner. Let's
try to use these forums to our benefit!
</rant>
Thanks,
Brent Michalski
--
Java? I've heard of it, it is what I drink while hacking Perl! -me
+----------------------------------------+
| Brent Michalski |
| -- Perl Evangelist -- |
| E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
| Web Site: http://www.perlguy.net |
+----------------------------------------+
