More language wars: Ada vs. Perl!

[Terry J. Westley]

Recently, I have been using Perl for creating import/export tools for an
Oracle database (made up of approximately 300 tables). I chose Perl
primarily because of speed (compared to other scripting languages),
associative arrays, and regular expression matching. As this system has
grown into close to 1000 lines of code, I have sorely missed all those
features I had grown to love in Ada, expecially namespace management and
modularity of packages, subprograms, and easy control over global/local
variables (not to mention being able to read your own code a week later).

I have also been working on an Ada 95 to Tcl binding (specifically, GNAT
2.07 to Tcl7.5a2), for which my hope is to be able to get associative
arrays and regular expression matching in my Ada programs, and eventually
Tk also.

The moral that I have learned is taken from Matthew 23:23-24 in which
Jesus is exposing the corruption and legalism of the Pharisees:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ... You blind guides,
who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."

--
Terry J. Westley
wes...@buffnet.net
http://www.buffnet.net/~westley/

[Larry Wall]

In article <westley-3110...@eppp5.buffnet.net>,
Terry J. Westley <wes...@buffnet.net> wrote:
: Recently, I have been using Perl for creating import/export tools for an

: Oracle database (made up of approximately 300 tables). I chose Perl
: primarily because of speed (compared to other scripting languages),
: associative arrays, and regular expression matching. As this system has
: grown into close to 1000 lines of code, I have sorely missed all those
: features I had grown to love in Ada, expecially namespace management and
: modularity of packages, subprograms, and easy control over global/local
: variables (not to mention being able to read your own code a week later).

Er, is this a troll? Could you be more specific? You can do all those
things in Perl too. I knew and loved Ada before I knew and loved Perl. :-)

Now if you'd mentioned strong typing, you'd have a better case.

: I have also been working on an Ada 95 to Tcl binding (specifically, GNAT

: 2.07 to Tcl7.5a2), for which my hope is to be able to get associative
: arrays and regular expression matching in my Ada programs, and eventually
: Tk also.
:
: The moral that I have learned is taken from Matthew 23:23-24 in which
: Jesus is exposing the corruption and legalism of the Pharisees:

Mmm, I think if you placed Ada and Perl on the law vs. grace continuum,
Ada would come out rather more legalistic than Perl. As for corruption,
that's much more likely in C...

: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ... You blind guides,

: who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."

Cute, but it sounds to me more like Matthew 13:45-46. You just didn't
invest enough to acquire the pearl of great price. You should not be
anywhere near to going structurally bankrupt at 1000 lines of Perl.
Especially if it's Perl 5.

Or perhaps I should just take Matthew 7:6 to heart...

:-) of course. But you're not gonna win arguing scripture with me.
My father was a preacher, as were both my grandfathers. It shows.

Larry Wall
lw...@sems.com