The demand of Perl programming language

Perl, also known as Practical Extraction and Reporting Language, is a dynamic programming language that is known for its straightforwardness. It was developed in 1987 by Larry Wall as a general-purpose language for scripting in Unix. It was aimed at simplifying report processing. As a scripting language it is quite well respected and is used for various purposes. Since it can be applied to carry out a variety of tasks, the demand for its use has increased. The programmers can utilize this language in creating corresponding DOS batch files or develop CGI scripts for web development. It should be noted that in respect to web development, its use is restricted to developing CGI scripts.

Here are some of the reasons why Perl is being used widely –

Easy to learn

The source codes for the programs being developed with Perl is given away by people who are using this language. As a result those who are interested in learning it can refer to the examples for the same. Moreover, these are also downloadable as well as can be modified for personal use. However, the disadvantage of Perl is that since it is a free code, most of it is difficult to comprehend. It results in a cryptic style.

Working with Perl is fun

Writing code for Perl is quite rewarding as well as fun. The usual idiosyncrasies associated with passing a context, memory allocation, inconvenient data regarding complex data structure, etc can be avoided. As a result the codes are brief as well as effective. Similarly, there are a number of DWIMmeries that ensure simple programming. With a little help the codes developed can be made portable across every UNIX as well as Windows and other platforms. It is extensively documented. Hence, interactive answers for questions related to online chats, mailing lists and web forums are available.

Open Source

It is an open source and free software that can be used for almost anything. Right from in-house software, non-open source commercial software, web software, etc – it can be used in all these and more.

Useful for diverse tasks

This is one of its USPs. Perl has been used for diverse tasks successfully that includes system administration, web automation, text processing, web programming, code generation, GUI programming, bio-informatics, games programming, number crunching, code generation, etymological research and to ensure quality.

Quick and easy to write

As far as Perl 5 is considered it has borrowed features from some of the key programming paradigms. Moreover, it has implemented these features in a consistent manner. Being a dynamic language it supports Aspect Oriented Programming, Object-Oriented Programming and several such latest features to make sure that the codes can be written quickly in order to complete the task at hand. Therefore, it has proved to be a powerful as well as influential language in the contemporary period. If one is well acquainted with Perl, there will be no issues in picking up Java, Python, Ruby or .NET. It is also considered as a fundamental for learning C++ and ANSI C. Additionally it also helps in improving the code writing in various languages.

Reusing the codes

Comprehensive Perl Archive Network refers to a useful collection of reusable Perl web development modules that are available with open source licenses. Thus, these can be used as libraries in order to facilitate code writing. What the programmers can do is look for a CPAN search or ask someone else for a recommendation instead of writing the code for themselves.

Write maintainable programs

The codes written using this code are actually elegant, maintainable and readable. Owing to the varied features, the programs written with it are short and this is the reason why people use it most of the times. However, this can also be used to write large scale maintainable programs.

While there are several benefits of Perl but it cannot be overlooked that it does has some problems. Even today it is recognized as one of the finest solutions to write system administration scripts in a large class. In fact, by utilizing Comprehensive Perl Archive Network, one can get over with the job quickly and more easily as compared to the other languages. At the same time it also must be admitted that Perl is not meant for everyone. Therefore, while there is a demand for this scripting language but it might be limited as well.

We provide Perl application development services. If you would like to hire Perl programmer India for your web development needs, please contact us Mindfire Solutions.

How Important is Perl for Businesses?

Despite being an interpreted language, Perl is hugely popular among software developers due to its flexibility and high level performance. The general purpose language was originally developed as a mere report processing tools. But within a short span of time, Perl has emerged as a scripting language that is used widely by programmers across the world to create large and complex web applications. On the whole, a business can reap several benefits by using Perl for rich internet application development regardless of its size and sector.

Major Benefits a Business can Reap by Using Perl

Available for Multiple Server Platforms: To increase the software’s compatibility, a business has to use a scripting language that is compatible with some of the widely used server platforms. At present, Perl is compatible with a wide range of server platforms including Macintosh, OS/2, Windows and most variants of UNIX. Thus, it makes it easier for businesses to make their software programs compatible across operating systems and server platforms.

Short Development Cycle: Unlike other scripting languages, Perl is an interpreted language. Thus, the developers can use Perl to develop and test applications by eliminating the compilation part of cycle. As they can avoid create, compile, debug, test and fix cycles, the development cycles are shortened. The feature further makes it easier for businesses to update their applications in future by adding advanced capabilities and innovative features.

Low Cost: A business can further use Perl to curtail development cost. The programming language is being distributed under the GNU “copyleft”. The license enables companies to access the source of Perl without paying any extra charges. The business, however, is required to pay only a small copying charge. Further, a company has option to obtain Perl either as source code or precompiled binaries for multiple platforms.

Loads of Perl Modules: While developing software with Perl, the code writers can access the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). CPAN is a well maintained and comprehensive repository of loads of Perl Modules. Like C Modules, Perl Modules can be seamlessly integrated with Perl programs and scripts. With Perl programmers constantly releasing new code libraries, it has become easier for businesses to access the free Perl Modules to accomplish specific goals without investing in commercial tools.

Option to Skip Complex Programming: Unlike other web technologies, Perl is efficient, complete and easy to use. As the programming language is designed to be practical, the developers can accomplish several tasks and goals without writing any lengthy and complex code. Further, Perl enables programmers to accomplish a specific goal in a number of ways. So the programmers can accomplish the goals without putting any additional time and effort.

In-Built Debugging Features: Most businesses, nowadays, deploy dedicated QA engineers to make the software application flawless. The testing professionals often use a variety of tools to identify and fix all bugs, errors or flaws in the application. The testers have option to identify the bugs, errors or flaws in the software by availing the in-built debugging features of Perl. They can further use Perl to write test scripts for assessing the software application’s functionalities.

Usable for System Administration: An enterprise can also use Perl as glue to hold multiple systems together. So Perl can also be used as an efficient system administration tools to integrate and manage several systems. A software application may use multiple interfaces developed by different companies. So the interfaces may not interact with each other seamlessly. But Perl still allows business to process and manage all these interfaces without any hassle.

At present, a business also has option to choose from two distinct languages belonging to the Perl family. It can use Perl 5 to accomplish tasks like graphics programming, network programming and system administration. At the same time, the company can further use Perl 6 as a separate language for cross-language development. So each business now can choose either Perl 5 or Perl 6 according to the specific needs of the project. You can get in touch with a perl web programming companies who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

We provide perl web application development services. If you would like to hire perl programmer India for your development needs, please visit Mindfire Solutions.

Why is Perl being Popular among Programmers?

Despite being implemented as an interpreted language, Perl is being used by programmers for a variety of purposes. Many writers have even compared Perl to a Swiss army chainsaw due to its powerful, dynamic and easy-to-adapt nature. At present, each developer also has option to choose from Perl 5 and Perl 5. Both versions of the programming languages belong to the same family. But each version of the Perl can be used for entirely different purposes. If you are yet to migrate to Perl, it is a good idea to have a look at some of its most prominent features that make it popular among programmers.

5 Special Features that Make Perl Popular Among Developers

1) Borrows Features from Several Programming Languages

The overall structure and features of Perl resembles that of many other widely used programming languages. For instance, the overall structure of the programming language is broadly derived from C. Likewise; it also borrows features from both Shell and Lisp. Perl supports a number of built-in functions that are used in Shell programming. It also allows programmers to use features like lists, hashes and regular expressions in a manner similar to Lisp programming. The combination of these features makes Perl usable as a high level language from a wide variety of tasks.

2) Supports Complex Data Structure

Along with the object-oriented programming model, Perl also supports complex data structure and several functions. For example, the Perl programmers have option to use references, class-based method dispatch, lexically scoped variables and packages. At the same time, they can further package the code to create the reusable models. The features make it easier for developers to save both time and effort through the enhanced code reusability.

3) Does Data-Typing and Memory-Management Automatically

Often developers have to write additional code for memory-management and data-typing. But the Perl programmers can easily accomplish these tasks by availing the automatic memory-management and data-typing feature of the programming language. For instance, legal-type conversions like converting a number to string can be done automatically at the runtime. Further, the interpreter knows the storage and type requirement of each data object in the program. Thus, it can easily allocate and free memory space using the reference counting, without any manual intervention.

4) Usable for both Scripting and General Purposes

In addition to being a general purpose programming language, Perl is also used widely by developers in scripting context. As the Perl syntax is similar to Java, C++ and C#, it can be used by web developers familiar with these programming languages. Further, Perl enables programmers to accomplish certain tasks in a number of ways. So they are not required to follow any standard way or coding practice to accomplish specific tasks.

5) Comes with Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN)

The Perl programmers have option to access the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) to avoid writing complex code. CPAN is a centralized and well-maintained repository of a variety of Perl modules. Each Perl module can also be used in a manner similar to C libraries. Thus, the developers can integrate these modules seamlessly in their programs and scripts according to their programming requirements. At the same time, the Perl Regular Expressions make the programming language more effective in manipulating and processing text. The built-in support for text processing further optimizes the performance of Perl as a dynamic scripting language.

As noted earlier, you can choose from Perl 5 and Perl 6. But you must remember that Perl 6 is designed as a completely new language specification without backward compatibility. That is why; you also need to understand the key differences between the two distinct versions of Perl. You can get in touch with a perl web application development companies who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

We provide Perl Web Development services. If you would like to hire perl programmer India for your development needs, please visit Mindfire Solutions.