Version 15 of Tcl vs Perl vs Python

Updated 2005-11-30 17:39:10

No, this page is not for flame wars or anything. I use Tcl as well as Perl and Python.

 Which language I choose for which task is decided by my feeling.

Sometimes I just feel like coding Perl, sometimes I feel like coding Tcl. There are no big differences to my knowledge that would make one language THE choice for a certain type of tasks, or am I wrong? - Moritz


It's my opinion that, in general, you are correct. However, some tasks may be more easily done in one language than another.

For instance, Perl and Python comes with different extensions and functions than Tcl. So to do equivalent things in Tcl, you either have to locate, download, and install an extension which you seek out to do the functionality, or you have to learn enough about the topic to write your own extension.


LV I suspect that the previous commenter means that Perl and Python come with more modules/extensions/procs/functions at the time one downloads the base source code or base binary distribution. The effort to organize within the Tcl community a response to this comment has come to be referred to as a Batteries Included distribution. So there are ways to get binary distributions of Tcl with more functionality. I've yet to see someone compare some of the Tcl BI distributions against Perl and Python to see whether they now are relatively comperable- if the same types of extensions are available . (RS adds: see especially ActiveTcl)


I think it's not which one comes with more extensions/packages, but which one has a package right now that you need.

For example I'm connecting a Flash frontend to our unix server and there's already a remoting package called AMF::Perl that exists. So, why not use Perl for this task?

If I want to deliver a nice win32 executable desktop app, theres no way I'm touching Perl.

--Ro

Ro, do none of PAR, IndigoStar, perlcc, and the ActiveState compilers work for you?

Never heard of em. The ubiquity of starkits in the tcltk world, and of freewrap is exactly the point I'm trying to make. The tcltk runtime is less than a meg. It's dead simple to wrap basic apps. In the perl world, I really don't think any that you just mentioned are as ubiquitous. --Ro


See also "What is the advantage of Tcl over Perl."


Category Advocacy