Perl5 users won't switch to Perl6 because they're working on Perl5 code and don't want to change their habits.
Non-Perl devs won't switch to Perl6 because the P word scares them.
So, yes, changing the name might be a good idea.
And making an enjoyable web-based tutorial.
Lets assume that I'm switching from Perl5. Why would I switch to Perl6 over something else? Even assuming Perl6 were to be become production ready tomorrow, there is a cornucopia of good languages these days. I'm sure Perl6 can claim to be more expressive than most but is that enough?
Re:Perl 5.18.0 is now available
by hahainternet on Saturday May 18, 2013 @12:54PM
(#5729529)
> Perl5 users won't switch to Perl6 because they're working on Perl5 code and don't want to change their habits.
I will.
I am already switching to Perl6.
You can use perlbrew to install any version of Perl your heart desires in a local directory of your choosing. You can also install multiple versions and easily swap them.
We deploy to a RHEL server where the stock Perl is 5.8.8. Sure, migrating that to a perlbrew/local::lib setup with up-to-date CPAN modules would be really nice, but would require some major testing, and right now nobody has the time for that. Never change a running system sigh...
But hey, generally it's not a big hassle, from a programmer's perspective that version ain't that outdated. About the only thing I really miss is "//="...
There are some modules that don't support Perl 5.8, like Data::Show. RHEL's policy about Perl versions is just horrible.
Calling keys, values, push, pop, shift and unshift on refs. That one change makes things SO much more readable.
There was a big argument on a name change. It isn't going to happen.
Here's mst's suggestion for changing the name Perl 5 to "Pumpkin Perl":
But right now, especially once Perl development really picked up, it might be time to "divorce" the two languages. It seems more like Algol60 vs. Algol68, or Modula-2 vs. Modula-3. Sure, there's a number in there, but it isn't just about the version of the main implementation.
Having said that, kudos to the Perl team. I really like that they now release new versions pretty regularly, which is a good sign to show people that Perl5 ist still very much alive and nobody needs to hold their breath for the time being.
If only I could use something more recent than 5.8 at work...