http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=838889


in reply to Perl Cannot Be Parsed: A Formal Proof

Sorry I didn't get this at all,

A binary executable called perl is called so when it can execute programs written in perl programming language. If perl(binary named so) cannot parse perl programs its not perl at all!!!

perl exists, so it can parse every perl program ever written, or perl doesn't exit at all... And we all know perl exists.

  • Comment on Re: Perl Cannot Be Parsed: A Formal Proof

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Re^2: Perl Cannot Be Parsed: A Formal Proof
by JavaFan (Canon) on May 07, 2010 at 09:07 UTC
    The entire point of the argument is that perl doesn't first completely parse the program before it runs it. When executing a Perl program perl alternates between parsing and running. That's what BEGIN is about (and hence, use).

    The article proves that it's actually impossible to do otherwise. That is, there does not (and will not) exist a program that first completely parses a Perl program, then executes it. (Well, at least not as long as Perl remains as it is).