Usability of Perl 1

[GTony]

I've recently been told by a "web expert" that 70% of all internet browsers can't read or use Perl now - I thought that this was a pretty bold statement and was incorrect, if anyone can provide any feedback to this then I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Rieekan]

Perl is a server-side language, so all the browser needs to understand is the output send by your Perl script. Generally, for web applications, this is in HTML or XML format, both of which the browser understands perfectly.

- Rieekan

 

[GTony]

So basically the guy is trying to bulls hit me!!

As long as the output send is in either HTML or XML all the recent browsers will understand this.

 

[MikeLacey]

Even *I* know that the statement is misleading at best.

Mike

To err is human,
but to really foul things up -
you require a man Mike.

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at faq219-2884

 

[PaulTEG]

perlscript, as opposed to perl, needs to be installed for each client, is a bit simlar to javascript, as far as I'm led to believe. We have a perlscript fan or two amongst our numbers but haven't heard anything in a while ...

The 70% bit, now that's interesting, which demographic does he belive the 30% resides -

--Paul

 

[GTony]

I have no idea, but I really didn't trust what he was saying at all! A website we are looking at uses some Perl in the background - he is trying to say that the website needs to be re-designed in another language as Perl is now becoming obsolete. I didn't think it was correct what he was saying but I had to check...

 

[MikeLacey]

Can understand you not trusting what he says.

Mike

To err is human,
but to really foul things up -
you require a man Mike.

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at faq219-2884

 

[GTony]

Thanks for everyone's help with this, its much appreciated.

 

[ishnid]

And how much was he charging to re-design it for you?

There are quite a few very big sites which rely on Perl (Amazon and I think PayPal). Sure, Perl is not the current sexy-language-du-jour (that tag belongs to Java and the .NET stuff in the corporate world and PHP outside of it) but to say it's obsolete is, quite frankly, rubbish.

 

[PaulTEG]

Advise him in writing that you need a statement from him in writing regarding the obsolescence of perl, and that'll probably be the last you'll see of him.

The reason you need the statement is down to a company policy which has been reactivated, concerning consultants and getting everything they say in writing, as a tangible output for the vast sums they command, and it's pretty useful in an audit trail capacity for discovery for situations that can only be settled in law, and not in arbitration

--Paul

 

[arn0ld]

perl+javascript are my web languages
perl is my language of choice for applications.

But, from an informal count of page suffixes, php appears to be on the rise. python also

Of course this is all in *nix-land. In gaytes-land, my guess is more jave, much less perl.

 

[MikeLacey]

gates land = more C# I think

Mike

To err is human,
but to really foul things up -
you require a man Mike.

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at faq219-2884