Linux Format forums

[jarubyh]

I would say it's apples to oranges and both have their pro's and con's and you should follow your dreams and go where your heart bids you, but I'll take a stand.

Perl.

Perl has a more developed collection of libraries, and is can be used effectively for everything from Web programming to system administration tasks to hunting through billions of text files with its highly advanced Regular Expression system. That being said, Perl is a mess. Python is much more intuitive, easier to use, and doesn't have any unstable semi-vaporware updates looming over its community. (OBJECTION!)
Personally, I use Perl for everything I don't use C++ for, so it feels like home to me. I'd recommend it as the scripting language to anybody.
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Occasionally incorrect, always using strict.

[ScannerDarkly]

The best I advise I can give you is not to learn a language, but learn how to program. A good language is a start to learning that, and a good language for that is Python: clean syntax, easy to learn, easy to see and to concentrate on the problems you'll be learning and solving in Python rather than stumbling over symbols for different types of variables in Perl...

Did I mention Perl is slowly dying? Learn how to program, via Python, and then learn an array of languages with different paradigms: Python, C, Scala, Haskell, Bash, Ada, Go etc.
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Linux since Ubuntu 6.06.