[Info-vax] Most popular application programming languages on VMS ?

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/10/2019 2:01 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> The question then becomes why is Python used directly as the scripting
> engine in multiple applications I have encountered yet I have still to
> see a single Perl based scripting engine in an application ?
> 
> I wonder if it's because Python comes across as being way easier for
> non-professional programmers to learn when compared to Perl.
> 
> In terms of syntax difficulty, I would say Python was more like an
> OO based Basic while Perl was more like a C++ language and the Python
> style probably appeals more to the non-professional programmers using
> some of these applications.

I think most people consider Python easier to learn than Perl,
which probably is an underlying driver for the change in
popularity.

And for programming languages there are a lot of inertia.
If a language becomes popular in problem domain X then
people start choosing it simple because it is popular
(being popular means that it is possible to get people
with the skills, get help on the internet etc.).

Perl was pretty big in at least two areas:
* scripting on commercial Unix'es
* CGI scripts
and both commercial Unix'es and CGI scripts usage has decreased.

Python got a stronger footprint with the Linux and Windows
crowd and their usage has increased.

And Python scored big by getting into to big data
and analysis field - that use has exploded the last
decade.

Arne