use Perl

• Perl6 "finished" (Score:1)

  by gdonald (9352)

  Here, I'll explain since you don't seem to get it.
  
  When people ask "When will Perl6 be finished?", they want to know when there will be a Perl 6.0 release. Of course everyone realizes development will still continue, who ever said it wouldn't? The question doesn't imply that at all, at least not to me.
  
  If you don't want to answer the question then don't. But don't act like it's some huge imposition to be asked.
  
  As a software developer I'm asked about my ETAs every single day. It's really not that
  • Re: (Score:1)

    by cjfields (3851)

    No need to be snarky.

    As a frequent denison of #perl6, the impression I get when this is asked on IRC is the same as what pmichaud finds. Maybe it's not intended that way, but asking is something is 'finished' to me implies 'is the spec completed', not 'is the spec at 6.0', no matter the actual intent.

    Just to add: the folks on #perl6 are very accommodating to new users, including ones that ask that question. It's probably the nicest IRC channel I've been on.
    • Re: (Score:1)

      by gdonald (9352)

      I would imagine the people who ask about Perl6's ETA don't care much about the Perl6 spec completion date. It's probably safe to assume they mean when can they do something like `apt-get install perl6`.
      • Re:Perl6 "finished" (Score:1)

        by cjfields (3851) on 2009.08.07 22:33 (#69914) Journal

        I would imagine the people who ask about Perl6's ETA don't care much about the Perl6 spec completion date.

        Yes, but the spec and the test suite define what Perl 6 is, not a single implementation. Anything that passes the test suite is considered Perl 6, so Perl 6 can have many implementations. As the article states, having a 'useful Perl 6' will help drive the spec to completion, but it likely won't be the only implementation in the long run.

        It's probably safe to assume they mean when can they do something like `apt-get install perl6`.

        Agreed, and that's the disconnect. It'll probably be something more like 'apt-get install rakudo' or similar.

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        Parent

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by gdonald (9352)

          Then why isn't the article called "a useful rakudo"? Why not try and close the "disconnect" rather than perpetuate it?
          
          Seriously, the Perl6 spec isn't even nailed down yet? What is the hold-up on that? Design by committee?
          
          Seems like Perl6 might be going the way of GNU/Hurd, eternally under development, and never to land.
          • Re: (Score:1)

            by cjfields (3851)

            Then why isn't the article called "a useful rakudo"? Why not try and close the "disconnect" rather than perpetuate it?

            I think b/c it's the only implementation far enough along to get new users interested (and maybe allow them to jump in on other spots NYI).

            Seriously, the Perl6 spec isn't even nailed down yet? What is the hold-up on that? Design by committee?

            Much of the spec is implemented in Rakudo, enough to make it quite 'usable', and Rakudo is passing around 12000 tests. If anything much of the spec has changed due to actual attempts at implementing it, either via Pugs, Rakudo, smop, etc. (the removal of want() comes to mind)

            Again, as mentioned in the article that may be the push needed to flesh out spots in the spec (c
          • Re: (Score:2)

            by pmichaud (6013)

            I've written a response to this thread in a separate article [perl.org].

            Pm