> is easier and more standardized, and well documented. But I "feel" like > coding front-end web applications is much easier in Perl where the workflow > bits change all the time. For this, I like using SOAP on the backend Java > server and SOAP on the front-end Perl.
I don't quite understand the difference between worflow in the front-end and workflow in the back-end. They both change. The danger of making one part of the system easier to change is that people tend to "cheat". They won't put the business logic in the back-end if it takes twice as long. To me, the major issue in Perl vs Java is dynamic vs static typing. Building large scale systems in Perl is much like building them in Smalltalk or Lisp. It takes a certain mindset. The lack of compiled interfaces means you need much more discipline (e.g. unit testing). The payoff is big with Perl, because you can refactor more easily and quickly than in Java. The libraries aren't much an issue. A good example is SOAP. SOAP is middleware. It is standardized, documented, and the rest of it. You like it for connecting Perl to Java, but why can't it be the other way around? If it can be the other way around, why aren't Perl and Java equally adapted to building middleware applications? Rob
