Re: Perl versus VB

[MZSanford]

I am no language expert, but here are some opinions :

• About Tk
• con: Look to clunky (big con for me)
• pro: (relativly) Easy to extend on your own
• pro: cross-platform
• con: No support (aside from RTFM)
• pro: you can review the code in lieu of support.
• pro: free
• pro: Access to other perl features (e.g. Modules)
• con: Does not make executables nativly (tho, PerlApp can for a price)
• About VB
• pro: Native look
• con: Lacks heavy lifting features
• pro: Tech support
• con: Tech support costs mucho dinero
• con: program costs mucho dinero
• con: No reviewing code if you hit a wall
• pro: Creates executables, and installers

But, the world is not so cut-and-dried-like-jerky (yum, jerky). I find that if i am not looking for cross-platform, Win32::GUI is quite nice (and you will recognize some of the functions from VB). I have also been told that wxWindows is good looking, stable, and cross-platform, but i have yet to play with it.

Imagine your review going to the pointy-haired-one with words like "cross-platform", "new technology" and the like on it... gooood. This is not to say i do not us VB. I use it for client apps which don't need to do much aside form look good and get data from a (perl based) server somewhere.

All views are opinion only. Nothing is fact. Nothing is real. This has been a dream ... a dream about two copper Lincolns debating the existance of this large guy who, like, caries them around in his huge pocket. That pocket is mine. These have been My Two Cents™

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from the frivolous to the serious

[sauoq]

• About Tk
• con: No support (aside from RTFM)

What's this site, chopped liver? If he's using it with Perl (and that's what he was asking about) he can get a lot of help right here!

In general, Tk, like many open source solutions, tends to have much better real support than similar propietary products.

With the latter, you pay a lot for "support" and what you get is a phone number you can call. When you do call, you often get to wait on hold for extended periods of time listening to crummy Muzak™. When you do get through to a person, you only get immediate help if your problem is simple because the first line of "tech support" knows what the product is called, how to ask whether your computer is plugged in and turned on, and not much else. After much explaining and re-explaining, you will finally be escalated to a person that knows something about their product versions and how to walk you through a re-install but not much else... And so on.

The best support is almost always found in newsgroups, websites, mailing lists, and irc channels frequented by people that really use the product.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";

[MZSanford]

I did have a feeling i would get a reply similar to this. When I wrote this is did think about the online resources, but then i thought that those resources are available for both products, and are therefore not really that great from a compare/contrast perspective

I agree you have a very long wait if you opt for the call Microsoft option ... not to say New Groups respond at the speed of a synapse (or that you will even get an answer .. anyone have that unaswered posts on Perlmonks stat handy (it's lower than one would expect, because this place rocks ... but it is not 0) ?). I have never called Microsoft, and never plan to.

Some (sadistic) people like the idea that no matter how long they waited on hold, they have someone paid to listen to them complain and who will attempt (even if feebly) to help. I think perlmonks is the best resource for these things ... but i understand that some people would rather make a tech support person squirm on the phone now, then wait patiently, thus it would be a pro in some places.

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from the frivolous to the serious