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in reply to When is a script an application

A script is a program that is perceived as a script, and an application is a program that is perceived as an application. It is all really a matter of perception.

Applications are, however, generally considered to be larger in sheer size and more complex in their design than scripts. Generally - there are always exceptions to the rules, and the line between scripts and applications can be very blurred at times.

Think of each of your 'cute' little 'scripts' as a squirrel, a cute fuzzy little critter that works hard to gather to food for the winter. Nobody really notices them, but they GET THE JOB DONE. Now think of an application as a large whale, slowly moving through the water - unchanged or very difficult to change. If the whale isn't careful, one wrong turn and it will wind up stuck on the beach, an obsolete piece of blubber.

Extreme, but i guess my point is that if you are worried that you are missing out on some 'big adventure' of application developement and you are stuck writing minor utility scripts, consider yourself fortunate. Your scripts have a better chance to be usefull longer than many applications 'out there'. And yes, even though the whale lives much longer than the squirrel - i see many more squirrels out there than whales.

OK, OK! So i live in Tennessee - it's a metaphor!!! ;)

jeffa

L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
F--F--F--F--F--F--F--F--
(the triplet paradiddle)

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Re: (jeffa) Re: When is a script an application
by YuckFoo (Abbot) on Nov 07, 2001 at 23:43 UTC
    Yep, its all perception. I use to tell my boss 'I wrote a little Perl script that did this or that'. This was a way to brag on Perl, that it only took a little Perl script to get the job done.

    Easy to get a reputation as a little script writer that way. I quit writing 'little Perl scripts' about a year ago. I now only write 'Perl programs', some are big, some are little.

    YuckFoo

      Thanks to everyone here for their responses. I think jeffa and YuckFoo really hit it on the head for me. I'm the one with the problem. I probably downplay my "little scripts" and need to market them better and educate those that don't use Perl. What can't one do in Perl? When will they learn! Many Thanks! ...Kevin
Re: (jeffa) Re: When is a script an application
by Biker (Priest) on Nov 08, 2001 at 14:13 UTC

    Good Perl is hidden and has no name.

    f--k the world!!!!
    /dev/world has reached maximal mount count, check forced.