Re: Perl vs Lisp/Java/C/C++

[stefp]

Testing the time for writing sample programs is an interesting and practical metric. But it depends as much on the programmer abilities than on the language tested. I am confident that perl expressivity permits to write good programs quite fast but I am well aware that many people don't even know about perl5 features (complex data structure handling including OO). The language quality is one thing, the general level of its programmer communauty another. I hope that perl mongers and monks are instrumental in raising awareness of good perl programming practices. Perl has not any signifiant marketting and logistic strengh behind it so grass roots movements are the only way.

-- stefp

[dragonchild]

To emphasize this point, I point to a section in Code Complete. This stated that a number of studies have concluded that programmer skill is the largest factor in efficiency. Using identical problems, environments, languages, etc ... the best programmers were 10 times faster with roughly 80% fewer errors, the code was much more readable, and used about 50% less lines.

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