Version 15 of Tcl/Tk Survey 2009

Updated 2009-04-15 12:39:02 by FabricioRocha

Fabricio Rocha 15-Apr-2009 - Every now and then the Tcl/Tk “marketing” comes to discussion. Introspection is a feature of Tcl itself and it's always useful when applied in the community. This survey is one more attempt on this field, maybe in a more objective manner than the previous attempts.

To take the survey, just edit this page (click the "Edit" link at the bottom) to add your marks where appropriate.

  • For questions marked with "choose one", put an X in the end of the line which corresponds to your answer.
  • For questions marked as "choose one or more", put an X in the end of all lines you want.
  • If the question asks you to specify an answer which is not listed, please don't criticize or debate what other people had written before. If you just agree to someone's answer, place an X in the end of it.

Again: please don't criticize or debate the listed answers, nor the answers posted by other people. We will gain nothing from flaming, and this would take away focus on the questions.

Even though this page might continue here forever, the survey will be considered closed in May 1st 2009. Then a new page will be created where the results will be analysed and discussed. A link to it will be posted here.


1: For how long have you been using Tcl/Tk? (choose one)

a) more than 5 years: XXX

b) from 1 to 5 years:

c) less than 1 year:

d) I still don't use it, I am just thinking about it :


2: How do you use (or want to use) Tcl/Tk? (choose one)

a) Programming is a hobby for me:

b) I am a school teacher, I use Tcl/Tk with the kids:

c) I am an university professor of Computer Science and I use Tcl/Tk in my classes:

d) I am a student, and I have classes on Tcl/Tk:

e) I am a commercial developer, Tcl/Tk is the only/main language I use:

f) I am a commercial developer, Tcl/Tk is one of the languages I use: XX

g) I work on an IT department where Tcl/Tk is used a lot: X

h) Other: please specify below:


3: How did you know about Tcl/Tk? (choose one)

a) I saw it mentioned in a book about Linux programming:

b) I learnt about it in a conference:

c) It was mentioned by an article in a newspaper/IT magazine/IT website:

d) A friend/colleague used it and made me know it: X

e) I had to learn it in my job: X

f) I had to learn it at school:

g) In a Google/Altavista/Yahoo/etc search on free programming tools/languages:

h) In a Google/Altavista/Yahoo/etc search on easy, friendly programming tools/languages:

i) In a Google/Altavista/Yahoo/etc search on rapid programming of GUI applications:

j) Other: please specify below:

I first learned about in a book on testing


4: Which feature or characteristic in Tcl/Tk conquered you? (one or more)

a) Very easy to learn: X

b) Easy GUI programming: XX

c) The GUIs it creates were/are nice:

d) The language extensibility: XX

e) It's free (as in beer): X

f) It's a popular programming language/toolkit:

g) It is a cool "underground" language: XX

h) It's free (open source software): X

i) Cross-platform programming with no or little fuss: XX

j) It could be used as a scripting language for a software project of mine: X

k) Its technical features allowed/allows it to be the main language for a project I had/have: X

l) It had/has a very active community: X

m) It had/has an enormous free, ready-to-use collection of extensions and libraries:

n) It had/has a company behind it, so I would have support if needed:

o) Its online documentation is complete, easy to find and to understand: XX

p) It was/is easy to find good books about it:

q) I could/can have commercial 3rd party support for it:

r) It is regularly updated:

s) It is mature and stable: XXX

t) Nothing, I use it because I was/am forced to:

u) Other: please specify below:


5: From its characteristics, which are the best uses for Tcl/Tk? (one or more)

a) Word processing/desktop publishing software:

b) Industrial automation: X

c) Mathematical applications: X

d) Window managers/desktop environments:

e) Databases conversions from one platform to other: X

f) Graphics and images edition:

g) Mobile applications:

h) Mobile systems (OSes):

i) Web/network servers:

j) Embedded scripting in other applications: XXX

k) Development of plugins for other applications:

l) System/software automation (Expect-like?): XX

m) Educational programming in schools: X

n) Educational programming in universities:

o) Programming for newbies: X

p) Web-based services:

q) Desktop utilities (calculators, zippers, file managers, text editors, etc): XX

r) Creation of front-ends for console-based utilities: XX

s) Multimedia authoring and players:

t) Point-Of-Sale commercial software:

u) Databases management:

v) Web programming (like PHP and ASP):

w) Other: please specify below:


6: “Self-criticism” mode on: which are your bad impressions about Tcl/Tk, even if you're not sure if they are true? (choose one or more)

a) Its syntax is weird:

b) It is not “strongly typed”:

c) Softwares written in Tcl/Tk are slow:

d) Lack of printing support: XX

e) Lack of visual programming tools (GUI builders, etc): X

f) Lack of free programming tools like debuggers, good code editors, etc.:

g) Lack of a compiler:

h) Lack of integration to popular or simple database systems:

i) The documentation is incomplete or inefficient:

j) There is not a central, reliable source of documentation:

k) Lack of a central repository for libraries:

l) The free libraries and extensions available are outdated and buggy:

m) It looks too ActiveState, does not feel like open source:

n) It is not really object-oriented:

o) It has lots of bugs:

p) The Tk widgets are ugly: X

q) The Tk widgets do not look native:

r) Important widgets are missing in Tk:

s) Suggestions are ignored by the core developers:

t) It is an old, outdated language:

u) Updates and bug fixes are too slow:

v) The community has no “big names”:

w) The old-timers snob/humiliate newbies in the public forums (fora):

x) Other: please specify below:


7: What do you think about the www.tcl.tk website? (choose one)

a) The site is good-looking, attractive and provides all the information people needs:

b) Great content, poor visual. The URL is important, but the site is not attractive: X

c) Nice visual, poor in contents. The URL is important, but the site needs new content:

d) In spite of the URL, it does not need to be the de facto central resource for Tcl/Tk: XX


8: What is the main impression/feeling that www.tcl.tk should cause about the language? (choose one)

a) I think it is just a download site, it does not have to cause any impression:

b) “What an active community!”:

c) “What a lot of people using Tcl/Tk!”:

d) “What an easy language!”:

e) “What a versatile language!”:

f) “What a modern language after all those years!”:

g) “What? Can you do that with Tcl/Tk?” (really uncommon things and techniques): X

h) “Wow, I thought that only Python/PHP/Ruby/etc could do that” (features specific of other languages):

i) “It is better than Python/Ruby/PHP/Java/etc”:

j) “Tradition, maturity, stability - that's what I need”: XX

k) “This open-source has professional support!”:


9: Which features would you like to see in a new version of www.tcl.tk? (choose one or more)

a) Highlights and reviews of new projects written in Tcl/Tk or built around it:

b) Tutorials about advanced/special programming techniques:

c) Tutorials for beginners in programming and in Tcl/Tk: X

d) Registered users being able to insert articles, news, etc.:

e) A forum:

f) Polls:

g) News and events in the world of Tcl/Tk: XX

h) Constantly updated information about the core development: XXX

i) Tcl/Tk programming contests:

j) Chatroom:

k) Categorized downloads pages for libraries and extensions:

l) Categorized downloads pages for Tcl/Tk programming tools:

m) Categorized downloads pages for general software written in Tcl/Tk: X

n) A project management system to be used by the TCT:

o) Sourceforge-like hosting for Tcl/Tk projects:

p) A who-is-who section about the Tclers:

q) International sub-sites (in french, german, portuguese, suomi, etc): X

r) Centralized documentation for libraries and extensions: XX

s) Other: please specify below:


HaO I am perhaps very dump - do you want that each person edits this page to add "X" characters behind the rows ? The "how to participate" instructions are IMHO quite unclear. (please remove this remark if you have clarified it) Thank you !