On Mon, Aug 13, 2001 at 09:37:28PM +0700, Hasanuddin Tamir wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Aug 2001, Abigail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote,
> >
> > The point isn't that Java has Sun behind it (but not just Sun. Also
> > IBM, Microsoft (even if they'd rather not) and more).
> >
> > The main difference between Java and Perl is what is being produced.
> > The "great" Perl things that are being produced are modules. But modules
> > aren't interesting for the majority of the enterprise world. Modules
> > are just tools to make other tools. The enterprise world wants tools:
> > that is applications.
>
> In that case, isn't Java just another tool? It's not application
> either. I might get you wrong, but it seems to me that you compare
> Java to Perl modules.
Which part of "The main difference between Java and Perl is what is
being produced." was unclear to you?
> I assume you you refer "enterprise" to people in the position making the
> decision. But how do they get to the decision?
They look at their needs, they look what's available, they look at the
price. And yes, stupid decisions are being made. But many smart decisions
are made as well.
> > There are no killer Perl *applications*. Just killer modules. Not that
> > there is something wrong with that.
>
> Once a friend asked me, "Why there are so many cool modules in CPAN but
> there's no one real application written in Perl?" With a hard-to-hide
> gasp I said, "Maybe because most of the great applications are developed
> for internal usage." But I knew I wasn't so sure.
Perhaps. And that's the problem. Buying a canned solution is often much
cheaper than rolling your own.
> Say there was a real killer Perl application, would they (the enterprises)
> turn? And if the application really satistified them I don't really think
> the would care what it's written in.
"A" real killer application? No. A single killer application wouldn't turn
the tables. A constant stream of good [1] applications, that's what is needed.
[1] For various values of good. Sad as it is, "Point and drool but sometimes
crashes your computer" is often better than a complicated interface
that is always flawless.
Now, I do *not* think Perl should go the Java way. I don't really care
Java is "big" and Perl is "small". I don't think Perl has anything to
gain by battling Java for the same market.
Perl has its own role to play, and it plays it damned well. It isn't
as big as Java, but it shines real well in its own theater.
Let Perl be Perl.
Abigail
