The State of Perl in 2024: Is It Still Used?

The State of Perl in 2024: Is It Still Used?

Perl, once the darling of the web and the “duct tape of the internet,” has seen its popularity wane in recent decades, eclipsed by newer, more trend-focused languages like Python, JavaScript (Node.js), and Go. But to declare Perl dead or irrelevant would be a significant misjudgment. While it’s no longer the default choice for many new projects, Perl in 2024 remains a powerful, viable, and, in some cases, essential language, holding onto a significant presence in specific niches and legacy systems.

The Decline – What Happened?

Several factors contributed to Perl’s decline from its peak:

• Rise of Python: Python’s emphasis on readability and a “one right way to do it” philosophy contrasted sharply with Perl’s “There’s More Than One Way To Do It” (TMTOWTDI) approach. While TMTOWTDI offers flexibility, it can also lead to code that’s difficult to maintain and understand, especially in large projects. Python’s simpler syntax and extensive libraries (especially for data science and machine learning) made it a more appealing choice for many developers.
• Perl 6 (Raku) Schism: The protracted development of Perl 6 (later renamed Raku) created significant confusion and fractured the community. Instead of a seamless upgrade, Perl 6 became a separate language with its own syntax and features. This diverted resources and attention from Perl 5, slowing down its development and causing some developers to migrate to other languages.
• Shifting Web Development Trends: Early web development heavily relied on CGI scripts, where Perl excelled. As web frameworks like Ruby on Rails, Django (Python), and later Node.js emerged, offering more structured and often faster approaches to web application development, Perl’s dominance in this area diminished.
• Perception Problems: Perl developed a reputation for being difficult to learn and maintain, partly due to the complexity that TMTOWTDI can introduce. “Write-only” code (code so complex it’s difficult to understand even for the original author) became a common criticism. This negative perception, while not entirely fair, hindered new adoption.

Where is Perl Still Used in 2024?

Despite the decline, Perl is far from extinct. It thrives in several key areas:

• System Administration and Automation: Perl’s powerful text processing capabilities, regular expression engine (considered one of the best), and extensive system interaction tools make it a strong choice for system administration tasks. Many legacy scripts and automation tools are written in Perl, and maintaining and extending them is often more efficient than rewriting them in another language. Think of log parsing, system monitoring, network administration, and automating repetitive tasks.
• Bioinformatics: Perl remains a dominant language in bioinformatics and computational biology. Its ability to handle large text files (like genomic data), powerful string manipulation features, and specialized libraries like Bioperl make it ideal for analyzing DNA sequences, processing biological data, and building bioinformatics pipelines.
• Network Programming: While languages like Go are gaining traction, Perl still has a presence in network programming, particularly for tasks involving protocol implementation, network monitoring, and security scripting. Its socket programming capabilities and libraries like IO::Socket remain relevant.
• Legacy Code Maintenance: A massive amount of existing code is written in Perl. Companies with long-standing systems, particularly in finance, telecommunications, and government, often have significant investments in Perl codebases. Maintaining and updating these systems requires Perl expertise. This “legacy” code isn’t going away anytime soon, and represents a significant ongoing demand for Perl developers.
• Text Processing and Reporting: Perl’s core strength remains text manipulation. For tasks involving complex parsing, data extraction, and report generation from large text files or streams, Perl often outperforms other languages in terms of speed and efficiency. This is particularly true when leveraging its regular expression engine.
• Specific Tools and Applications: Some specific tools and applications, often older but still widely used, are built primarily in Perl. Examples include Bugzilla (bug tracking system), SpamAssassin (email spam filter), and parts of the cPanel web hosting control panel.

The Future of Perl (Perl 5 and beyond)

While Raku (formerly Perl 6) is a separate language, the development of Perl 5 continues, albeit at a slower pace. The Perl 5 Porters (the core development team) are focused on:

• Stability and Backwards Compatibility: Maintaining compatibility with existing code is a high priority. New features are added cautiously to avoid breaking existing scripts.
• Performance Improvements: Ongoing efforts are made to optimize Perl’s performance, particularly in areas like memory management and execution speed.
• Modernization: While maintaining backwards compatibility, Perl 5 is gradually incorporating modern features and best practices, often inspired by other languages. For example, the Coro module provides coroutine support, and there are ongoing discussions about adding features like type hints.
• Community Engagement: Efforts are being made to revitalize the Perl community, attract new developers, and address the perception issues that have plagued the language.

The CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network)

One of Perl’s enduring strengths is CPAN, a vast repository of open-source modules and libraries. CPAN provides pre-built solutions for a wide range of tasks, from web development and database interaction to scientific computing and system administration. The continued maintenance and expansion of CPAN ensure that Perl remains a practical choice for many projects, even if it’s not the first language that comes to mind.

Is Perl Worth Learning in 2024?

The answer depends on your goals:

• Not as a first language for general-purpose programming: For most beginners, Python, JavaScript, or other modern languages are likely better starting points due to their larger communities, broader applicability, and easier learning curves.
• Yes, for specific niches: If you’re interested in system administration, bioinformatics, network programming, or working with legacy code, learning Perl can be a valuable asset. The demand for Perl skills in these areas remains significant.
• Yes, for expanding your skillset: Even if you primarily use other languages, understanding Perl can be beneficial. It exposes you to different programming paradigms and can help you appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of various languages. It’s also useful for understanding and maintaining legacy code you might encounter.
• Yes, if you enjoy it: If you find Perl’s syntax and approach appealing, there’s no reason not to learn it. A passionate developer can be productive in any language.

Conclusion:

Perl in 2024 is not the dominant force it once was, but it is far from dead. It occupies a vital niche in specific domains and continues to be a powerful tool for certain tasks. While it may not be the first choice for many new projects, the demand for Perl expertise persists, particularly in areas like system administration, bioinformatics, and legacy code maintenance. Perl’s future lies in its continued evolution, community engagement, and the enduring value of its core strengths, especially its unparalleled text processing capabilities. The “Camel” may have slowed down, but it’s still very much on the journey.