[SOLVED] Is Perl still relevant for IT professionals?

Originally Posted by young_jedi $ echo $PATH /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin $ for p in $(echo $PATH|tr ':' ' ');do find $p -type f -exec sh -c "head -n 1 {} | grep -q perl && echo {}" \; ; done | wc -l 0 $ uname -sr Alpine Linux 3.9.2 Turns out Perl is not so fundamental for use in system administration utilities, atleast on Alpine Linux.. And for those who say WTH is Alpine Linux and who cares? Its the base system Docker uses (Docker is a technology that supercedes virtual machines in many ways)...

that's only half a conclusion.
here's the other half (see attachment):
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...1&d=1553799915

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Read and weep (Fall of Perl): https://www.fastcompany.com/3026446/...ising-language

so that's where you got your inspiration.
i'm sure one can find articles on the interwebz to support any opinion one fancies.
also take care how you formulate your web searches.
what results do you think you'll get with
"perl computer language is dead" or "python is better than perl"
vs.
"compare relevance computer languages python perl"
???
(your article shows up on all 3. that shows they have good SEO, probably spending money on that. nothing else. yeah, the interwebz are complex.)

Although just to play Devil's advocate - I did try searching for a number of negative phrases about python and it honestly comes out a lot better than Perl. If you search for "the fall of python", it is all positive views of python and the second highest result is "the fall of Perl" as linked previously.

Obviously this is due to the current popularity of python and the web will reflect that.

What Perl has against it is that new industries are not going to use it. Python is the go to language for AI and AI is the biggest deal in software for the foreseeable future. The software company I work for is doing AI now and it is selling like hot cakes. I think for developers, Perl is great, but for new businesses it is less appetizing.

It is the new world and python style will be the way forward, which is a departure from the Perl, C, Java, that I grew up on. But it probably means that you can name your price for working in Perl as the skills become less abundant, so it is not all bad!

I still stick by my point that being proficient in both Perl and Python will stand anyone in good stead. Python is so easy, honestly, I taught my little sister in a few hours and she now has a job using it (she has a Chemistry degree).

Originally Posted by TB0ne Yes, we all know what Docker is and most of us are probably far more familiar with it than you are.

I have not embarked on the journey of learning Docker yet, but the fact that I know Alpine (as I read all its documentation) gives me brownie points I think.. And I know LXD and there's LXD support for OpenStack, and 55% of OpenStack's servers run on Ubuntu...

Wow...another opinion piece. Should we post a few that say something opposite?? You don't seem to get that: Opinions aren't very relevant in this context No one CARES if you use perl or not. Really.

The fact that you use Perl in your business cause your opinion of it is still held in high-reguard, does
not make it fact that the majority of SMBs, or even Fortune 500 companies hold the same beliefs.

Originally Posted by ondoho that's only half a conclusion. here's the other half (see attachment): https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...1&d=1553799915 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ so that's where you got your inspiration. i'm sure one can find articles on the interwebz to support any opinion one fancies. also take care how you formulate your web searches. what results do you think you'll get with "perl computer language is dead" or "python is better than perl" vs. "compare relevance computer languages python perl" ??? (your article shows up on all 3. that shows they have good SEO, probably spending money on that. nothing else. yeah, the interwebz are complex.)

I literally just typed "Perl vs Python" (which actually gives Perl better SEO cause people who favor something include their preference first; e.g. rather than "Python vs Perl").. And there are many ways to boost SEO rather than just spending money; like using the best practices in the HTML code, or by using SSL... Also websites that post alot of blogs tend to have high SEO..

Originally Posted by Samsonite2010 Although just to play Devil's advocate - I did try searching for a number of negative phrases about python and it honestly comes out a lot better than Perl. If you search for "the fall of python", it is all positive views of python and the second highest result is "the fall of Perl" as linked previously. Obviously this is due to the current popularity of python and the web will reflect that. What Perl has against it is that new industries are not going to use it. Python is the go to language for AI and AI is the biggest deal in software for the foreseeable future. The software company I work for is doing AI now and it is selling like hot cakes. I think for developers, Perl is great, but for new businesses it is less appetizing. It is the new world and python style will be the way forward, which is a departure from the Perl, C, Java, that I grew up on. But it probably means that you can name your price for working in Perl as the skills become less abundant, so it is not all bad! I still stick by my point that being proficient in both Perl and Python will stand anyone in good stead. Python is so easy, honestly, I taught my little sister in a few hours and she now has a job using it (she has a Chemistry degree).

Finally someone who's unbiased and see's the bigger picture, thanks Samsonite2010 you're awesome!

Originally Posted by Samsonite2010 Obviously this is due to the current popularity of python and the web will reflect that. What Perl has against it is that new industries are not going to use it. Python is the go to language for AI and AI is the biggest deal in software for the foreseeable future. The software company I work for is doing AI now and it is selling like hot cakes. I think for developers, Perl is great, but for new businesses it is less appetizing.

you make a reasonable point there; and you do not "condemn" perl to meaninglessness.
i can live with that.
if you go back to the beginning of this thread you will see that in the beginning people answering OP were much more reasonable, too.

Originally Posted by young_jedi but the fact that I know Alpine gives me brownie points I think..

yes, we already gathered that that is how you think...

(as I read all its documentation)

ALL of it? dream on...

which actually gives Perl better SEO

programming languages do not have SEO - websites do.


all in all i would have prefered some comment to the fact that a freshly installed alpine has neither perl nor python, and how it invalidates your argument that "there's no perl on alpine, therefore python is better" (ok, i'm paraphrasing a little here but yes, that's essentially what you're on about).

Originally Posted by young_jedi I have not embarked on the journey of learning Docker yet, but the fact that I know Alpine (as I read all its documentation) gives me brownie points I think.. And I know LXD and there's LXD support for OpenStack, and 55% of OpenStack's servers run on Ubuntu...

So if you don't know Docker, why do you think you're qualified to explain it to others?? And again, no one really cares what you run..why should you get 'brownie points' for doing something that someone else wrote, deployed, and documented??

The fact that you use Perl in your business cause your opinion of it is still held in high-reguard, does not make it fact that the majority of SMBs, or even Fortune 500 companies hold the same beliefs.

And how many have you worked for?? I can list five among direct employers, and at least 20 as clients of my business. And it's been used at ALL of them. And you are, again (STILL) missing the point. Your question was very simple: is it still relevant? Answer still remains "Yes", regardless of how much you want to whine otherwise. Don't want to learn it? Then don't...not hurting anyones feelings, and again, we just don't care what you learn/know. Again, why aren't you going out and getting one of those jobs you keep mentioning??? After all, YOU know PYTHON...should have folks lining up to hire you. Or do they want folks who actually know more than one thing??

I literally just typed "Perl vs Python" (which actually gives Perl better SEO cause people who favor something include their preference first; e.g. rather than "Python vs Perl").. And there are many ways to boost SEO rather than just spending money; like using the best practices in the HTML code, or by using SSL... Also websites that post alot of blogs tend to have high SEO.. Finally someone who's unbiased and see's the bigger picture, thanks Samsonite2010 you're awesome!

You *STILL* miss the point. Samsonite2010 said the same thing all of us have been saying, and you (AGAIN) seem to only read/understand what you agree with. Did you miss the part where they said that knowing BOTH is a good idea? Or that (depending on your Google search), you can find results skewed in either direction???

You are posting opinion pieces. COBOL has been around for 50 years, and is STILL in demand. C/C++? Still in demand, as is assembler, and lots of other things that aren't Python. Again, Python is the new 'hot' thing...and in a few years, there will be ANOTHER one that supersedes python.

Originally Posted by TB0ne I can list five among direct employers, and at least 20 as clients of my business. And it's been used at ALL of them.

Finally a golden nugget through all this debate, if you could have just said that from the start instead of other vague answers this forum would only be about 3 pages long.. Im honestly not looking for pointless battering back and forth, that's why I hearby declare this thread solved! Thanks TB0ne, I think we just got off on the wrong foot.

Originally Posted by young_jedi Finally a golden nugget through all this debate, if you could have just said that from the start instead of other vague answers this forum would only be about 3 pages long.. Im honestly not looking for pointless battering back and forth, that's why I hearby declare this thread solved!

You were told YES specifically numerous times. You ignored it. The only one 'debating' was you with your pointless opinion links, your 'read and weep' stuff, etc. You said you were taking your 'creative genius' and going elsewhere...which was apparently a lie, since you're still here.

The only thing you were interested in, is trying to get others to validate your opinion.

Thanks TB0ne, I think we just got off on the wrong foot.

No, your behavior is what the problem was, and if you don't see that, there isn't much anyone on a forum can do to help you.

^ I was going to say something very much along those lines yesterday.
Fingers hovering over the keyboard ... but then I thought nah, what's the point.
Let OP have this illusion of agreement; it's better than most alternatives.

This discussion got me looking around and I found this talk..

Probably not persuasive, but very interesting, I thought.

Originally Posted by scasey This discussion got me looking around and I found this talk..

"When’s the last time you used duct tape on a duct?"

I got told off for using Perl recently

"use something else like Py-thonn".

Oiks!!!
Yeah right if you want me to take 3 weeks to do it!


I might try and slip some Lisp in somewhere.

Originally Posted by bigearsbilly I got told off for using Perl recently "use something else like Py-thonn". Oiks!!! Yeah right if you want me to take 3 weeks to do it! I might try and slip some Lisp in somewhere.

It irritates me when someone who is a one-language wonder (or a script kiddie) wants me to do something using their favorite tool or buzzword when it is NOT THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB!. IT REALLY tourques me when a manager or executive says such things. It is like telling your auto-mechanic to change the oil, when the problem is that your transmission is hosed.

Sometimes Python is the right tool, sometimes PERL is the right tool, sometimes neither one is appropriate. Not that they will not work, but there is a better way. We are paid to know, or find, the RIGHT way to solve the problems.

Dont't worry, I don't listen to managers too much but I get the job done which they cannot argue with.

It was a particularly gnarly bit of extreme Perl Kung-Fu, but parsing hundreds of HTML files is a nasty business.
You can have it quick or pretty but not both!

You know what these young'uns are like, object instantiation broker, big data, cloud web service dev ops agile
design patterns blah blah!


The trouble seems to be the engineers have let the management get out of control, they have no concept of
management training.

Originally Posted by wpeckham It irritates me when someone who is a one-language wonder (or a script kiddie) wants me to do something using their favorite tool or buzzword when it is NOT THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB!.

here's a nice python pearl (pun intended):

I have here the py-Script of a friend. It shows the US Baseball Championship in the Conky. lea.py #!/usr/bin/env python import os, sys filename = "http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings | egrep -A19 'American League'" cmd = os.popen("lynx -nonumbers -dump %s" % filename) output = cmd.read() cmd.close() print output