Thinking and Question of The Proposal for Perl 7 - day1
I write my thinking and question about Proposal for Perl 7.
1. MAJOR version when you make incompatible API changes,
First of all, I am wondering about this assumption.
This is because there are very few incompatible API changes in Perl's history (Perl 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
If the Python developers are thinking this way, it makes sense.
Has Perl ever thought of this in history?
Perhaps Perl has kept the maximum backward compatibility even in the major version upgrade?
The fact about Perl (rather than theory or ideal) is that Perl has kept its backward compatibility so that it can execute the assets of older programs.
Perl has taken care of old users who use Perl for a long time and cannot easily change their habits.
I believe this is Perl's kindness.
Perl is a language that emphasizes facts, reality and work, practicality.
Perl 5 has been very successful because it keeps backword compatibility with Perl 4.
I believe that this idea will be very successful even when upgrading from Perl 5 to Perl 7.
Because it really succeeded.
I'm Perl Programmer. I LOVE Perl. I want to contribute Perl community and Perl users.
Perl has been very kind to maintain backwards compatibility very carefully. Its users value this.
However its users have declined and declined. While companies happily rewrite their software in to languages that routinely break things.
From the proposal in the wiki, i find this one the most silly.
Q: Why not use v7 and then default all other code to Perl 7.
My answer would be, lets make one break now and forever by requiring a version number in the code.
> However its users have declined and declined.
This is not. Maybe you only see TIBOE and stackoverflow information. You maybe get much negative information of Perl from other people.
>While companies happily rewrite their software in to languages that routinely break things.
That is one good thinking. But if you want to do that, you already have Ruby, Python, PHP.
Isn't Perl able to show different values for diversity?
>From the proposal in the wiki, i find this one the most silly.
We are talking. Isn't it better not to use the word silly easily?
Regarding the word choice "silly". It is very mild and was chosen for that.
In terms of usage. My on the ground experience running Sydney PM is that our sponsoring companies where dropping off. No new employers where appearing. People where struggling more and more to find work.
So when i consider other languages and i consider perl, my view is that "we never break your code" is not valued by the industry. On the other hand, the perl community is used to high levels of care that perl does not break old code.
So i think that perl can inch forward with care.
To strike the right balance i think a clear, transparent, and well thought out process (which i do not yet see); along with enhanced tools to determine & remediate breakage on CPAN, it's possible to introduce changes whilst minimizing the impact.
>> However its users have declined and
>> declined.
>
> This is not. Maybe you only see TIBOE and
> stackoverflow information. You maybe get
> much negative information of Perl from
> other people.
It seems likely that the story is going to be different depending on which part of the world you're in.
It's certainly the case that Perl usage in London has fallen over the last twenty years. From 1995 to 2019, I was a freelancer in London. In that time I must have worked with over twenty companies who used Perl as a substantial part of their codebase. Of that list of companies, I can only think of one where Perl is still the main part of their codebase. All the other companies fit into the following categories:
* They have ceased to exist
* They have moved their code to another language
* They are in the process of moving their code to another language
* Perl is now just one of a selection of languages which they use
In London, at least, it is irrefutable that the number of companies using Perl has fallen and continues to fall.
Who is making Perl even worse by writing negative comments?
Perl 5 has over a hundred advantages, but employers have no way of knowing about it since many people keep increasing negative messages about Perl.
At least, 2018 to 2020, In Japan,
Perl's reputation has improved for the stability.
If you are interested in Perl good points, see my "Perl Philosophy" site.
https://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=ja&sl=ja&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fphilosophy.perlzemi.com%2F
You will find many positive points.
And why not message it?
I want to talk a lot about the positive aspects of Perl 5. I welcome positive and constructive comments.
I think there are many positives to perl, but some of the defaults can be updated which will add to the magic.
> At least, 2018 to 2020, In Japan,
> Perl's reputation has improved for the
> stability.
But we're not talking about reputation. We're talking about the level of usage.
And it's not truth. I don't know how "at least" is this,
the "reputation" of Perl has not been changed in 2010s around me.(I've been living in Japan, perhaps)
Most of job about Perl is to maintnain the code or add functions. People didn't need to talk about Perl, because of its stability. "reputation" had never even been appeared in positive or negative. Many famous Japanese Perl Mongers had seemed to begin to learn other technology. Their activity about Perl had been getting lesser and lesser. I think, it is same as London which Dave wrote.
I believe aggressive progression for v7 is wanted. Bizarre philosophy and prejudiced positive perspective are not needed.
(and studying foreign language is also important, not just depending Google Translate)
I think denial and power do not produce any good fruit.
Is it possible to stand by me and have a constructive talking?
Even in difficult times, I find it useful to discover good fruits and talk with each other.
Don't you know that the one who rebuilt Israel is the one that remains?
Is it possible to stand by the remaining Perl Users who contributing Perl much?