Why Nobody Codes in Perl Anymore

Summary

The video dives into the unique and quirky history of Perl, a programming language often referred to as the 'duct tape of the internet'. The creator, Larry Wall, envisioned Perl as a flexible, human-driven language that embraces messiness and imperfection. The script explores Perl's rise to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s, its popularity across major tech companies, and its eventual decline. The discussion touches on Perl's role in bioinformatics, its philosophical roots in linguistics, and its 'there's more than one way to do it' motto. The video ultimately reflects on how Perl's chaotic nature offers valuable lessons in humility, especially as the world of programming grows more complex.

Takeaways

• 😀 Larry Wall created Perl after waking up and realizing that a random string of characters on his monitor was a divine message to create a programming language.
• 😀 Perl's chaotic and messy nature, often referred to as 'the duct tape of the internet,' reflects its flexibility and organic evolution, similar to how languages like English have adopted elements from various sources.
• 😀 Perl gained widespread popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, being used by major companies like Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and Netflix.
• 😀 The language allows for multiple ways of doing the same thing, exemplifying its motto 'There's more than one way to do it,' which has both benefits and drawbacks.
• 😀 Perl's syntax is often seen as confusing, with developers sometimes writing code that they cannot later understand, which can be frustrating.
• 😀 Larry Wall's background in linguistics influenced his approach to Perl, creating a language that embraces flexibility and evolution rather than strict syntactical purity.
• 😀 The messiness of Perl can be seen as a philosophical stance against overly rigid programming languages, challenging the idea that language should be clean and precise.
• 😀 Perl's design reflects a more human-centered approach to programming, where the language feels accessible and relatable, even with its idiosyncrasies.
• 😀 Perl's decline in popularity was partly due to its complexity and the increasing desire for cleaner, more structured languages like Python.
• 😀 Despite its decline, Perl's lasting legacy may lie in its reminder to embrace humility and recognize the complexity of large systems, such as AI and the world itself.
• 😀 The speaker humorously contrasts Perl with more structured languages like Lisp, emphasizing Perl’s organic, messy nature as a language for the people, not for machines alone.

Q & A

What inspired the creation of Perl according to the script?

Perl was created when Larry Wall fell asleep and hit his forehead on the keyboard. Upon waking up, he realized the string of characters on his screen was not random, but a programming language that he believed was inspired by a divine mission.

Why is Perl described as the 'duct tape of the internet'?

Perl is called the 'duct tape of the internet' because of its messy, flexible, and often unconventional structure. It became popular for handling large amounts of text and processing data, but it is known for being a bit unpolished and chaotic in design.

What was Perl used for at the peak of its popularity?

At the peak of its popularity, Perl was used by major companies and websites, including Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and Craigslist. It was commonly used for scripting, bioinformatics, and web development.

What makes Perl different from other programming languages like JavaScript or Elixir?

Perl is distinct in its approach to programming, as it embraces multiple ways of solving the same problem. While languages like JavaScript and Elixir also have flexible syntax, Perl goes further with its 'There's more than one way to do it' philosophy, making it more permissive but also more difficult to read.

What is Larry Wall's philosophy behind the design of Perl?

Larry Wall's philosophy in designing Perl was influenced by his background in linguistics. He believed that programming languages should evolve organically, similar to how natural languages adapt over time. He also believed that linguistic purity was overrated and that languages should be open-ended and non-judgmental.

How does Perl's syntax reflect its organic nature?

Perl's syntax is often messy and non-uniform, which reflects its organic, evolving design. The language allows multiple ways of writing the same function or logic, which can lead to confusion but also offers flexibility for programmers.

Why did the popularity of Perl decline over time?

The popularity of Perl declined because many developers found its syntax overwhelming and difficult to maintain. As languages like Python, which offer cleaner, more structured code, gained traction, Perl's messiness became a deterrent for developers seeking simplicity and readability.

What is Perl's most important lesson for programmers according to the script?

The key lesson from Perl is that programming languages, and by extension, programming itself, should be approached with humility. It reminds programmers that the world is more complex than it may seem, and that acknowledging the complexity in design can lead to more thoughtful and human-centered solutions.

What is the significance of the 'no gods, no kings, only Perl' phrase?

The phrase 'no gods, no kings, only Perl' reflects the anti-dogmatic philosophy behind Perl’s creation. It suggests that Perl was designed to be free from rigid rules or structures, and instead allowed for more freedom and creativity in programming.

How does the script compare Perl to Lisp in terms of design?

The script contrasts Perl with Lisp by emphasizing that Lisp is elegant and mathematical, whereas Perl is messy, organic, and designed to be more accessible to people. Perl is described as 'the language of the people,' in contrast to Lisp's more formal and esoteric nature.