Re: [TCLUG:17411] [severely OT] Tcl vs Perl

[Troy Johnson <john1536@tc.umn.edu>]

I am not a Tcl expert, but from what I do know the variable handling in
Tcl isn't a whole lot better than in a modern shell script. Perl
variables (scalars, arrays, hashes, and references) allow for much
richer data structures. The module mechanisms are both simple and very
nice to work with. Not that I do not like or use Tcl/Tk, I just might
not use it for something big.

This is just my opinion, and I like perl alot, so you can take this with
a grain of salt. :-)

Troy

Phil Plumbo wrote:
> 
> >From the my-religion-is-better-than-yours dept.: I would like to hear
> informed opinions on the relative merits of perl vs Tcl as the programming
> language of choice for an open-source GUI project now forming.
> 
> The guy behind this project has developed a very nice, generalized GUI for
> machine tool control, but has reached a dead end. The protoype was written
> in VB under Windows. He wants to port to linux so he can use rtlinux and
> also to interface with the killer CNC app 'NIST EMC', a linux-based CNC
> back-end that is well-established.
> 
> He is looking at a total rewrite.  There is a large base of Tcl code
> associated with NIST EMC, and all of the current GUIs are written in Tcl.
> The logical choice would seem to be to use Tcl.
> 
> He would, however, prefer to use perl/Tk. In his words:
> 
>   "One of the major reasons Im stopping the work on my VB program is that
>   the underlying data structure is not good. I cannot use the VB Object
>   stuff, since my .dll  limits me to the 16bit VB, so that forces just
>   about everything to be global variables, since procedures can only
>   return a single value. I have done some reading on Tcl/tk and find the
>   same problems.
> 
>   I would much prefer to write in Perl/Tk. All the data handing could then
>   be object oriented and much more robust. We could also use the Perl
>   module mechanisms to add code.
> 
>   Im very sure that the success of CPNC will depend heavily on the data
>   structure under it. I dont think Tcl will give us the structure we need."
> 
> This sounds a little bogus to me. I don't have much experience with Tcl, but
> I don't see why it would limit one's choice of data structure that much.
> Comments?
> 
> Philip S. Plumbo           | Printware, Inc.
> psp@printwareinc.com       | 1270 Eagan Industrial Rd. | voice: 651-456-1400
> http://printwareinc.com    | St. Paul, MN 55121  USA   |   fax: 651-454-3684
> 
> 
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-- 
	<a href="http://umn.edu/~john1536">Troy Johnson</a>

"Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, 
and therefore deprive them of arms."
	--Aristotle