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Re: two good poems; Wether perl any good?



Hi Folks,

<RANT>

I'm rather tired of this ``Do Java without thinking'' refrain I keep
hearing all over the place.  Here're some facts which anyone who is
planning to switch platforms should consider:

1.  Java is slow.  In fact, it's so horribly slow that running just a
couple of Java apps can bring a high-end server to its knees.  And
we're talking about serious RISC-based servers here, not piddly little
Pentium-III PC's.

2.  Java is a resource hog.  I've created similar pages in JSP (which
allows you to embed Java into HTML pages) and Embperl (which allows
you to embed Perl into HTML pages).  The Java version ate up all the
RAM (256MB) on the system, while the Perl version was happily chugging
away in 64MB or less.  Even more entertaining was the result of ab
(the Apache benchmark, it's part of your Apache package) on the two
pages: the Embperl page was about 10-20 times as fast as the JSP page.

3.  Java is not open.  Sun controls what goes into Java and sues
anyone who doesn't conform.  As far as I can make out, the primary
motivation for MS' bringing out C# was because Sun sued their pants
off regarding their (MS') Java implementation, and they needed an
alternative.  Of course, C# will be even more closed than Java, but
that's another story.

I would not bet my company's future on any product which is
proprietary and owned by a single organisation.  Sun has scuttled
efforts in the past to create an open Java consortium, and shows no
signs of accepting the same today.

4.  Java isn't as portable as it seems.  For instance, the last time I
tried to run the proof-of-concept Java Web Browser on a Linux box, I
found to my dismay that it needed Winduhs-specific DLL's.  No Java Web
Browser for Linux without system-specific libraries?  Where's the
portability?

5.  OOPS are highly overrated, at least as they're practised.  Most of
the so-called OO programmers I've seen wouldn't know a well-written
class if it came and hit them in the nose.  OOP implies reusability,
while all today's OO programmers seem to be able to do is split up
large functions into smaller ones in seperate files, thereby creating
``classes''.  Where's the re-usability? where's the documentation?
where's the encapsulation? where's the facility for subclassing?

Oh, I admit there're a lot of well-written classes available on the
'net for reuse -- for instance, the various JDBC drivers.  But if it's
volume you're looking for, the CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive
Network) beats Java archives hollow: thousands of modules, most of
them properly encapsulated and explicitly meant to be subclassed.

In other words, OO is a skill, not a function of a programming
language.  An OO programmer doesn't need Java or Perl or C++ to write
OOPS in -- s/he's equally comfortable writing them in COBOL, C or even
assembly.

To sum up, Java is a lot of hype and not much deliverable.  If you
want a job in the US, sure go ahead and learn Java since it's the
Flavour of the Day.  However, if you're serious about building systems
which run, run fast and run without stopping, look beyond Java for a
more open, more stable, more mature and more efficient.

Regards,

-- Raju

>>>>> "Ambar" == Ambar Roy <ambarroy@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

    Ambar> Hi,
    >> I wanted to sincerely embark upon learning perl But I am
    >> advised perl has become outdated

    Ambar> depends on what you wanna do with perl. perl for general
    Ambar> system admin is still real in. perl for small cgi scripts
    Ambar> is in, but u don't write a dynamic site using perl.. that
    Ambar> is suicide. u can use mod perl though and that works, but
    Ambar> for dynamic sites keep away from perl. php, JSP/java
    Ambar> servlets/ejb, coldfusion and asp on win2k/iis5 are what u
    Ambar> wud normally use to write dynamic sites. u can also use
    Ambar> nsapi/isapi/mod_perl for making dynamic sites..

    >> And Cold Fusion is the in thing.

    Ambar> not really. right now asp.net and jsp/ejb is the in
    Ambar> thing.. (i know this is a linux list, but..) and another
    Ambar> thing is that if u keep running after the in thing, don't
    Ambar> think that learning the tech of the moment will be ok..

    >> I am working with ISP and intend to use it for small scripts
    >> and applications.

    Ambar> for small quick and diry jobs like form submissions, etc
    Ambar> perl is still the best bet. for anything more complex use
    Ambar> something else!

-- 
Raju Mathur          raju@xxxxxxxxxxxxx           http://kandalaya.org/