These are the major basic differences that I have seen, in no particular order:
- A lot of the little squirrely places will be cleaned up. (If you don't know them, don't worry. If you do, cheering is appropriate.)
- OO programming is a forethought, not an afterthought. In particular, a lot of work has been done to enable various styles of OO programming.
- Anyone will now be able to parse Perl, particularly in Perl.
- Macros. Not C macros, but (almost) LISP macros. This means that anyone can create new Perl syntax without having to use source filters.
- Continuations. While most solutions won't need these, those that do need them.
- Perl will compile to Parrot opcodes.
That last is the most important item. This means that any two languages that compile to Parrot will be able to use each other's code seamlessly. For example, let's say you really want to write some class in Ruby because Ruby r0x0rs the OO world. But, you really need to use it in this Python library you have already written. Oh, and now the boss wants you to take that Python library (using the Ruby class) and hook it into the webapp you wrote using Perl. Oh, and it has to communicate with the foobarbaz that has the Java client already working, but nothing else.
Not a problem. :-)
Being right, does not endow the right to be rude; politeness costs nothing.
Being unknowing, is not the same as being stupid.
Expressing a contrary opinion, whether to the individual or the group, is more often a sign of deeper thought than of cantankerous belligerence.
Do not mistake your goals as the only goals; your opinion as the only opinion; your confidence as correctness. Saying you know better is not the same as explaining you know better.