Should I Learn Python or Perl?

Should I learn Python or Perl?

Perl may be dying out relative to newer programming languages like Python.

Then I should go with Python.

Not necessarily. Perl is built into Unix, so you can always use it in the Unix / Linux systems.

That’s quite a pigeon-hole.

Perl was used when they did a lot of network prototyping, and it is still used in that area.

Just because Perl is popular in that area due to inertia doesn’t mean I should learn it.

It is used for rapid prototyping for IT security.

Other languages can be used for that.

Now Perl does have worse object references and is more difficult to read if you are reviewing someone else’s code.

That’s a problem in almost any programming language.

Perl Six brings in some new CPAN and object oriented functions, making the language more relevant.

Why would I want to learn Python?

Python lets you create apps fast. You could create a program that takes weeks in C++ in a day in Python.

I heard the language was easy to use.

It is easy to learn and can do almost anything.

It sounds better than learning Perl, which is going obsolete.

Another advantage of Python is that it is still evolving. If you learn that, you can learn versions like Jython that are merged with Java and C.

I see a lot of online discussions about it.

Python has a large online community for advice. Oh, and it’s free, unlike trying to learn Oracle or MS SQL.

Free is good.

The other advantage of Python is that you can use it for everything from creating kernels to building major applications. It’s pretty versatile.

That means it has good job security too. It’s better than stepping into something nearly obsolete.

Yeah, but people who know Perl can get paid a fortune to migrate those apps and databases to something new.