(Update: @seen{...} is now %seen{...}) So long as I can write %seen{@data} ^= 1 and @histogram[map /\d/, $n] ^++, I will be the happiest person alive. Those will be Perl idioms one will be hard-pressed to find in any other language. The hyper-operators are, I feel, long overdue, and should be received with much celebration. The loops required to mimic them in current versions of Perl will be optimized into the Perl core, which -- apart from sounding nifty -- is nifty.

Perl 6 is mainly about re-engineering our core processes and utilizing new paradigms for work efficiency and extending our empowerment to meet a wide spectrum of abilities.

Oh, sorry, I was reading "The Dilbert Principle". Where was I?

Perl 6 is about rethinking a lot that programmers want to do, but can't really, in Perl. The amount of "stuff" is measured by CPAN's growing number of Perl extension modules -- things like Switch and Attribute::Handlers and [insert favorite Damian module here].

But it's also about making the language more inviting to people from other backgrounds (which is a good reason to make the -> to . change) and to make a good enough impression that first-time callers become long-time supporters.

Anything I've found icky about Perl 6, I've taken with a grain of salt. Larry knows what he's doing, and one thing he's doing is listening to us. Another thing he's doing is milking the damned colon for all it's worth! STOP COLON EXPLOITATION NOW! But it will be for the best.

_____________________________________________________
Jeff[japhy]Pinyan: Perl, regex, and perl hacker.
s++=END;++y(;-P)}y js++=;shajsj<++y(p-q)}?print:??;

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