Marjorie: In what way is Perl better than other scripting languages such as Python and Eiffel?
Larry: Perl is unique, not just among scripting languages, but among computer languages in general. It's the only computer language consciously and explicitly designed to be postmodern. All other computer languages are still stuck in the modern era to some degree. Now, as it happens, I don't normally use the term ``postmodern'' to describe Perl, because most people don't really understand postmodernism, even as they embrace it. But the fact is that American culture has become thoroughly postmodern, not just in music and literature, but also in fashion, architecture and in overall multicultural awareness.
Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance, a set of monocultural blinders that elevated originality above all else, and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally cool. That is, if something's worth doing, it's worth driving into the ground to the exclusion of all other approaches. Look at the use of parentheses in Lisp or the use of white space as syntax in Python. Or the mandatory use of objects in many languages, including Java. All of these are ways of taking freedom away from the end user ``for their own good''. They're just versions of Orwell's Newspeak, in which it's impossible to think bad thoughts. We escaped from the fashion police in the 1970s, but many programmers are still slaves of the cyber police.
In contrast, postmodernism allows for cultural and personal context in the interpretation of any work of art. How you dress is your business. It's the origin of the Perl slogan: ``There's More Than One Way To Do It!'' The reason Perl gives you more than one way to do anything is this: I truly believe computer programmers want to be creative, and they may have many different reasons for wanting to write code a particular way. What you choose to optimize for is your concern, not mine. I just supply the paint--you paint the picture.
[^] # Re: Interview de Larry Wall
Posté par jigso . En réponse à la dépêche Journées Perl 2004. Évalué à 3.
Marjorie: In what way is Perl better than other scripting languages such as Python and Eiffel?
Larry: Perl is unique, not just among scripting languages, but among computer languages in general. It's the only computer language consciously and explicitly designed to be postmodern. All other computer languages are still stuck in the modern era to some degree. Now, as it happens, I don't normally use the term ``postmodern'' to describe Perl, because most people don't really understand postmodernism, even as they embrace it. But the fact is that American culture has become thoroughly postmodern, not just in music and literature, but also in fashion, architecture and in overall multicultural awareness.
Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance, a set of monocultural blinders that elevated originality above all else, and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally cool. That is, if something's worth doing, it's worth driving into the ground to the exclusion of all other approaches. Look at the use of parentheses in Lisp or the use of white space as syntax in Python. Or the mandatory use of objects in many languages, including Java. All of these are ways of taking freedom away from the end user ``for their own good''. They're just versions of Orwell's Newspeak, in which it's impossible to think bad thoughts. We escaped from the fashion police in the 1970s, but many programmers are still slaves of the cyber police.
In contrast, postmodernism allows for cultural and personal context in the interpretation of any work of art. How you dress is your business. It's the origin of the Perl slogan: ``There's More Than One Way To Do It!'' The reason Perl gives you more than one way to do anything is this: I truly believe computer programmers want to be creative, and they may have many different reasons for wanting to write code a particular way. What you choose to optimize for is your concern, not mine. I just supply the paint--you paint the picture.