7/22    Please rate the following languages by their usefulness for
        large programming projects and give your reasons:
        perl, python, ruby, tcl, urdu
        \_ Bangla >> Urdu
        \_ ocaml! -- ilyas
        \_ Don't use tcl.  tk was a cool idea but tcl is just cumbersome to
           use.  Perl and python depend on your own thoughts about what
           a project needs.  I personally would go with python but there are
           strong opinions on either side.  Never heard of ruby, so can't
           help you there.
           \_ and after looking at some ruby docs I have got to say it at
              least looks worth learning.
        \_ Tcl blows.
        \_ don't use tcl.  ruby = 1/2 python, 1/2 perl without perl's huge
           pre-made library at cpan.  perl vs python?  ask a priest.
        \_ Perl:   Extremely powerful and extremely ugly.  People have done
                   amazing things with it, but I find it aesthetically
                   unpalatable and do not use it.
           Tcl:    An excellent language to use to control your c programs
                   and allow users to write scripts.  Tcl's main advantages
                   are that the language structure is pretty simple and
                   compact making it easy to embed into c programs.  I've
                   used TinyTcl to control/test programs written for a DSP.
                   Tcl's main disadvantage is that the core language is
                   too simple and compact; you have to add on lots of extra
                   packages to get classes and other useful libraries.
           Python: A good language with lots of features like lambdas,
                   classes, and plenty of libraries built in.  It's not
                   quite as easy to embed into c programs as tcl, but not bad.
                   Python is my first choice mainly because of the many
                   high quality built-in and third party libraries.  The
                   language itself is also a nice compromise between the
                   simplicity of Tcl and the power of Perl while still
                   remaining quite readable. -emin
        \_ To add to the above comments, Python has reached the community
           critical mass any project like it needs to become useful.  wxPython
           is a joy to work in as well.