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Re: Wish Setup would accept my Perl


DePriest, Jason R. wrote:
I once, like you, wondered why I couldn't just have one installation of Perl or Python that works in either environment. Since I write scripts, not code,
An aside? How is a Perl script not Perl code?!? Just wondering...
I assumed it was because it was just too hard to do and began to use each program in its appropriate place.
Hmmm... I'm curious. As you said you have both AS Perl and Cygwin's Perl. Now you say use each one where it is appropriate. I can't think of a reason why using one or the other is more appropriate than the other. As you state below regarding PPM, AS Perl is obviously Windows centric and Cygwin's Perl is admittedly Posix centric. Being as I don't see many Unix/Linux Perls with a Window's centric viewpoint I would think that sticking with Posix through and through (including CPAN rather than the uniquely AS PPM) would provide the best shot at being the most portable out of the gate!

Granted the programmer also need be concerned about what he's about to do and whether or not that will be portable to "the other side". All too often the lazy programmer cops out and says "Well this'll never be run on Unix/Linux anyway. It's not a requirement", etc. and wham you have platform dependent code being made. Indeed search for a Unix/Linux Perl that will provide a Win32 backend or other Windows only concepts. You probably will not find one.

However if the programmer bears in mind portability from the start then the chances are high that the code will port with little effort. IOW the real common denominator here is Posix, NOT Win32! And I have had many years of direct experience that tells me that this indeed is the case.
PS - I use PPM to manage perl modules for ActiveState Perl and cpan to manage modules for cygwin perl. PPM is super-Windows-centric.
--
Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
Windows: Just another pane in the glass.


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