Re: Python or Perl for a Debian maintainance project?

[Nathanael Nerode <neroden@twcny.rr.com>]

Zenaan Harkness wrote:
>> To fill in the blanks in my ignorant mind, which language(s) out
>> there have not had versioning problems?
>
to which Andrew Suffield wrote:
>C

Are you referring to K&R C, C89, or C99?  :-)

Actually, Bourne shell has had no versioning problems.  Writing in portable 
Bourne shell is sometimes an adventure in obscurity, however (the absence of 
subroutines particularly hurts), so I can't really recommend it.

Frankly, a language without versioning problems is a tired old semi-obsolete 
language.  You need to look for a balance between endless incompatible 
changes and availability of reasonable features.  Perl does pretty well on 
that point.

(As others have pointed out many times, it's easy to write incomprehensible, 
unmaintainable Perl code.  So -- remember to not do that.  ;-)  The same 
caution applies if you choose C! )