use Perl

• Faster what? (Score:2, Insightful)

  by brian_d_foy (44)

  Not only did they not say what the exponent was, but they didn't say what was faster.
  
  Take a common task and let a reasonably skilled C programmer and reasonably skilled Perl programmer go at it and see which method finishes the work sooner and goes home earlier. That metric should please most people who do not see quality time with their keyboard as the root of their existence.
  
  That quote sounds like a quote I just read in MacTech (June 2002):

  On the other hand, Python is simple to use, and it's more
  • Re:Faster what? (Score:1)

    by pjm (639)

    Mac OS X used to lack python, but if you're plugging away on 10.2, well....
    
    ~ % which python /usr/bin/python
    
    (It's Version 2.2)
    
    • Re:Faster what? (Score:1)

      by brian_d_foy (44)

      yep, 10.2 has it, but that was a long time after that article was written. :)
      
      now i want Ruby too :)
      • Re:Faster what? (Score:2)

        by Matts (1087)

        10.2 comes with ruby too.

        $ ruby -v
        ruby 1.6.7 (2002-03-01) [powerpc-darwin6.0]
        • Re:Faster what? (Score:1)

          by brian_d_foy (44)

          I guess I have to shell out the $129 bucks for 10.2 then :)
• so which would you bet? (Score:2)

  by wickline (135)

  
  Maybe a new idea for a slashbox-style poll...
  
  Including development/maintc time, C is exponentially faster than Perl. The exponent is
  
          a) greater than 1
          b) 1
          c) between 0 and 1
          d) 0
          e) between -1 and 0
          f) -1
          g) less than -1
  
  I'm particularly fond of the notion of imaginary speed gains :)
  
  -matt
• Pet Peeve! (Score:2)

  by gnat (29)

  "exponentially" doesn't mean "much", just like "literally" doesn't mean "very". The writer's numeracy is as questionable as George Bush's literacy.

  --Nat