Paul wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 09, 2001 at 09:44:57AM -0700, dave
> hoover wrote:
>
> > I think it's a matter of style, but also one
> should
> > consider who will be maintaining this code in the
> > future and whether they will be familiar with Perl
> or
> > if they will have a more general CS background.
>
> You know, I've never liked this argument. Why
> should I assume that
> someone who will be maintaining my code is less than
> competent to do the
> job? Why should some parts of the language be off
> limits because they
> are deemed "too difficult" for someone who doesn't
> know the language.
> Maybe by using the language well I can help this
> maintenance programmer
> to master it.
[snip]
I think trying to stretch the audience to facilitate
learning is good practice, but you need to consider
your audience when deciding how _much_ you can stretch
them. A competent Perl developer needs to choose
his/her tools carefully. Although, s/he _could_ use a
chainsaw to solve a given problem easily, there are
times when a handsaw is preferable. For an audience
that is still using a hatchet, a chainsaw would be
overwhelming and sometimes dangerous.
Of course, a developer does not always know who their
audience is...and in those situations, I'd just use
the dang chainsaw!
=====
Dave Hoover
"Twice blessed is help unlooked for." --Tolkien
http://www.redsquirreldesign.com/dave
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