ftp.cs.arizona.edu/ftp.cs.arizona.edu.tar/ftp.cs.arizona.edu/icon/newsgrp/group95b.txt/000161_icon-group-sender _Sat Sep 16 21:48:19 1995.msg

Internet Message Format | 1995-09-18 | 2KB

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Date: 16 Sep 1995 21:48:19 GMT
From: [e-mail] (J.M. Ivler)
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Subject: Re: what to use instead of TCL or PERL
Errors-To: [e-mail]

Harold Carr ([e-mail]) wrote:
: What do programmers who implement and use real programming languages
: like, Lisp, Prolog, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Icon, etc; use instead of TCL or PERL?

Harold, all languages are tools. Each has certain strenths and
weaknesses. C++ may be good for some applications, not so good for
others. The same can be said for all languages.

Consider the programmer as a carpenter. He has to sink a screw. Now he could
use a hammer to sink it, and it would work, but it would work much better
if he used a screwdriver. Additionally, the screw is a philips head. Now
he could use a flathead screwdriver, but wouldn't the better tool be a
philipshead screwdriver? Now, if he had only one screw to sink, he might
use a hand screwdriver, but he has 1000, so might it not be wise to
attach a philipshead screwdriver to a powertool to help?

At each point in the design of a project the developer looks at the tools
in the supply cabinet. He may have to consider porting issues, or issues
of GUI interfaces. No matter what the concern, there are always factors
that go into determining the "right tool for the job". and that includes
the language that the solution should be coded in.

I note that you are posting from a .cs.[place].edu I suggest that you may
want to look into seeing if they have a class in Intro to Computers that
you could take, as the above comes from my notes when I used to teach it.


jmi
[e-mail]
set Tcl {a toolbuilders friend}