Perl Vs Python

[Michele Simionato]

"Jon Perez" <jbperez808 at yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<b3mgb1$1nfbo9$1 at ID-180326.news.dfncis.de>...
> > ... "Python vs. Perl" is a a typical trolling question that has been
> > answered hundreds of times.
> 
> I think that 'Python vs. Perl' is a very valid question to ask
> for esp. for someone who has tried neither.  It is also a
> question worth asking again every so often as both languages
> are ever-evolving.
> 
> It need not lead to trolls or flamewars if people gave
> intelligent answers and do not become overly sentimental
> or defensive about their favorite language/technology.
> 
> I've learned some new things reading good arguments about
> Perl's virtues in this thread and have cringed seeing
> newbies flamed/ganged up on for questioning Python.
> 
> Fwiw, I'm *heavily* in favour of Python over Perl and
> consider it the correct choice in 90% or more of
> programming situations but am always interested in
> reading intelligent criticisms of it.
> 
> Python vs. Ruby, anyone? :-)

Actually, my statement was

"""For what concerns Steve Holden's answer, you should understand
that "Python vs. Perl" is a a typical trolling question that has been
answered hundreds of times. Better  doing some previous research than
asking that ;)"""

Notice the smail at the end ;)

I do agree that it is possible to ask the question "Python vs. Perl":
nevertheless one should understand that this is a delicate question to
ask, with the risk of receiving unpolite replies. One should phrase
the question in such a way to avoid the risk of being confused with a 
troll. For instance one could say: I need to do X and Y, my
constraints are Z and W, do you think it would be better to use Python
or Perl ? Of course, posting in the Python newsgroup he will have some
biased answers, but also a chance of learning something.

Let me make an example about "Python vs. Ruby". I would not go to the
Ruby newsgroup asking which is the better language, but I will
formulate
a concrete question. For instance, a real question I have in mind
these
days it the following: what's the support of Ruby with respect to
multiple
inheritance as compared to Python? I heard Ruby has no multiple 
inheritance, but it has some alternative way of doing that, and I
would
be curious to know what are the advantages and the disadvantages.

My reply to the OP was intended to point out that there are questions
more delicate than others: you can ask them, but you must ask them
with care.
You can also ask careless, if you wish, but then you should not be
surprised
by the outcome. I think the original question

"""Hello:
  do Perl & Python do similar things?
  What should be the rationalle to one or the other?
Thanks."""

was too short and ambiguous (what he wants to know?). Since c.l.p is
particularly friendly, nothing bad happened, but in other newsgroups a
question like that could have received quite harsh replies.

Just to clarify my position,

                                                               Michele