What is meant by high-level language?

Now, what can be your answer when asked about what a high-level language really is? Perhaps you might give it a better guess or completely get confused on how to rightly answer it, isn’t that so? Regardless of your more likely outcome, here’s how you ought to have answered it!

A high-level language can be easily defined as a programming language that is designed in a way to simplify or makes computer programming easier. That was to be your answer or something closer to that when asked about what a high-level language is. 

There are many reasons that can back up Perl as being a high-level language. One of the reasons is that it has numerous steps that are removed from the original code that is run on a computer processor. Keep in mind that a high-level language source code has a very easy-to-read syntax that is later changed into a low-level language that the computer can easily recognize, read, and then run by its CPU. 

As you may know, several common programming languages are considered to be high-level languages. Some of them that you may know of and are not limited to:

• Swift
• Pascal
• Python
• PHP
• Perl
• Objective C
• C++
• Cobol
• C#
• Java
• Fortran
• JavaScript

All the above-listed languages don’t use the same syntax. It will be of help if you take note that some of these are mainly designed for creating desktop software programs, while some also are used in web development. 

Even though they are used in executing conflicting tasks, all the above-listed programming languages are considered high-level languages since all of them have to be processed by the compiler or even an interpreter before they are executed.

In other simple words, all the source codes of languages such as C++ and even C# must be first compiled into a machine code for them to be run. During the compilation stage, all of the human-readable syntaxes of the high-level languages are converted into low-level language for a given processor. 

For high-level languages such as Perl and also PHP, they can be instead run through an interpreter, then converts high-level codes into a low-level code or language. 

Perl language

Our main area of discussion is about the Perl language and everything else that touches or relates to it. It’s better if you know that Perl is simply a Swiss Army chainsaw of scripting languages – commonly described as powerful and also adaptable. 

Its history traces back to the 1980s when it was first built from scratch by Larry Wall, a linguist by profession who was out working on a NASA project as a systems administrator. He came up with Perl language so as to make report processing easier as compared to the available methods at that given time. 

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Again, Raku that started as a redesign in 2000 of Perl, later came to separate as another different language. It would be better if you understand that both the languages are on the move of being consistently developed independently and also with different development teams, and they usually borrow ideas from each other to make both languages better and updated.

If you have ever used Perl as a language, you might have noticed that the language borrows ideas from other different existing languages such as C, Shell script, AWK, and Sed. Perl 5 is used in performing several functions that are not limited to:

• System Administration
• Network Programming
• Finance
• Bioinformatics
• Other functions, including GUIs

Perl 5 was also nicknamed the Swiss Army of scripting languages due to its flexibility, power, and also its ugliness. Do you know that back in 1998, it was also nicknamed the duct tape that is used to hold the internet tight and together? This came as a result of being both ubiquitous in terms of use as a glue language and also being of perceived inelegance. 

Another thing that is worth noting is that Perl is also considered as one of the most expressive programming languages in that the source code for any of the algorithms can be very short and also highly compressible. 

Which is better, Perl or Python?

Have you ever thought of comparing Perl and Python? Well, be it that you have or you haven’t, I believe it can be something so interesting that may end up with several discoveries in terms of pros and cons. In your opinion, where do you think the dice should land? Do you think of vouching for Perl or Python? 

Let’s find out!

In this article, we are going to compare these two programming languages in terms of numbers, strings, and quotes. In Perl, you need to understand that there are mainly two basic types of data that are numbers and strings.

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You should know that numbers are easy to deal with. All you need to have in mind when dealing with numbers is that you don’t have to add commas or even spaces into the numbers when you are using Perl. 

When we come to strings, many find them to be a little bit complex when compared to numbers. Strings are mainly several characteristics that are put together in either single or even double quotes. 

When you weigh both Python and Perl based on numbers, strings, and also quotes, it’s clearly evident that Python appears to outweigh Perl since its considered to be clean and also easy to understand when writing its codes, while Perl also performs better than Python when it comes to string manipulation operations and also in some other advanced or complicated one-liners for the UNIX such as OS and also several other operations that many prefers using it. 

When comparing Perl and Python, you need to be more specific on a given area that you target. For you to understand and be able to make a fair judgment and conclusion, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of both Python and Perl. 

Python vs. Perl – Pros and Cons

Python Pros

• Python is a good choice when it comes to several applications such as Big Data, Machine Learning, NLP, and also Infra Automation, and many others since it has massive support in supporting activities due because it’s an Open Source. 
• Python is considered to be advanced and also inherent in terms of programming, and also its threads being better than those of Perl.
• It has clean and also elegant syntax that makes it a great language and a preference to many of those who are out to learn programming.
• There are also many other applications where the use of Python is preferred since it performs better when compared to Perl. These applications are not limited to Python’s Django and also web2py when it comes to web scripting. 
• Python boasts of many SWIG wrappers that suit many programming languages such as CPython, IronPython, and also Jython.
• Many vouch for Python due to its perfectly indented and easy to read and also understand even when one is reading someone else’s codes or reading his or her own codes after some years. 

Python Cons

• One of the setbacks is that when dealing with large codes, you’ll be forced to go until the last sections when you are looking for a variable. This proves to be daunting and complex in nature, thus a drawback.
• Python, at times, is slower than Perl when it comes to regex and also in string-based operations. 

Perl Pros  

• Many find it easier to find variables with the help of the symbols that Perl uses before them as compared to Python, where the task is too hectic and complicated. 
• Perl has always been the best choice that one can make when it comes to report generation since that was the key reason for its creation.
• Perl is also vouched for when it comes to regex and also string comparison operations since it’s influenced by sed and also awk like powerful UNIX tools. 

Perl Cons

• Those who are out to learn coding cannot begin using Perl since they find it to be very difficult to understand and also use.
• The OO programming in Perl is also out of date, and also operations such as threading have been less geared in Perl.

What is Perl -i used for?

Just like earlier mentioned, Perl is a general-purpose programming language that was officially designed for text manipulation, and as you read this article, it has adopted for performing a number of tasks such as:

• System administration
• Web development
• GUI development 
• Very important projects in the public and also private sectors
• Many more

Features of Perl

Perl boasts of amazing features such as:

• It’s an open-source programming language that can be used on several platforms.
• Perl can also be quickly embedded into the web servers so as to speed up the whole process.
• Perl boasts of being very compatible with HTML, XML, and also other markup languages, and also it fully supports Unicode strings.
• Perl makes use of the XS language to interface between Perl and also C code.
• Perl also uses the Perl DBI, its own standard database interface. Perl also completely supports third-party databases integration of Oracle, Postgres, Sybase, MySQL, and many others.
• Procedural programming languages such as sed, awk, and also Lisp are fully supported with Perl.

Perl 6

Have you ever heard about Perl 6? If you have no idea about it, then there are tons of things that you are about to learn! Just as earlier said, Raku is a member of the Perl family of programming languages. It was formerly known as Perl 6 and was renamed in October 2019. Now you understand how Raku and Perl 6 are related?

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Again, you need to know that Raku introduces elements of several modern and even historical languages. Another thing that is noting is that the compatibility with Perl wasn’t a goal, but again a compatibility mode is also a part of the specification. The creation of Raku began in 2000. 

History of Perl 6

It’s interesting to learn more about Perl – how it came to existence and how it has undergone changes over the years since its creation. The design process of Raku was first announced back on 19 July 2000, which was the fourth year of the Perl Conference by Larry Wall, and this was during his State of the Onion talk. 

During this time, the pillar goals of the firm were to get rid of the “historical warts” present in the language in that easy things were to remain easy, hard things to be easy, and also impossible things to be hard – a general enhancement of the internal design and APIs. All these started with a chain of requests for comments or “RFCs.” This session was left open to all contributors, and all the areas of the language were open for change. 

Once the RFC session was complete, Wall dedicated his time to review and even classify each of the requests that were made. Upon completing this process, he received 361 requests. What followed after this process was the writing of many Apocalypses; this is a term that is used to mean “reveling.” The previous intention was to come up with only one Apocalypse of each chapter of Programming Perl, but it went obvious that the past Apocalypses were being altered with the recent changes done. 

Due to that given reason, a set of Synopses were published, and each one of them was relating the contents of an Apocalypse, though with any past changes that were due to the updates. As you are reading this article, Raku specifications are managed via the “roast” testing suite, while the Synopses are kept as a historical reference. 

Again, there are series of Exegeses that were written by Damina Conway trying to explain the content of each of the Apocalypse on how they are practically used. Upon looking at these Exegeses, you will notice that each one of them has code examples with detailed discussion on the usage implications of the examples provided. 

Lastly, there are three pillar methods of communication used in the development of the Raku used today. The first one is the #raku connect IRC channel present on freenode. The second one is a set of mailing lists available on The Perl Foundation’s servers at perl.org.[17] The third one is the Git source code repository hosted at https://github.com/raku.

Perl example

Are you capable of mentioning even one example of Perl? If you have no idea about any of them, then you are in luck. They are not limited to:

1. Calling System Commands

a.     Image Processing

b.    Renaming Files

c.     File Conversion

d.    Creating Directories

e.    Padding & Unpadding Files

1. File Manipulation 

a.     Generating HTML Files

b.    Generating Xpost Scripts

c.     Modifying Files

d.    Convert Raw Data

1. Scanning the Network

a.     Finding Free Machines

b.    Finding Processes

c.     Finding Files

d.    Finding Users

The above listed are some of the Perl examples that you need to be well conversant with. 

Perl Tutorial                                                        

Are you interested in learning more about Perl? Before you begin your study, you need to remind yourself of things such as; Perl is a programming language that was created by Larry Wall is majorly focused on text processing. Another thing that you need to know of is that it means or stands for Practical Extraction and also Report Language. 

Besides that, you need to aware that Perl runs on several platforms such as Windows, Mac OS, and also several other versions of UNIX. 

Why you need to learn Perl?

So, what is really pushing you to learn the Perl language? Your reasons are best known to you, but there are several reasons that can make one learn Perl. These reasons include:

• Perl boasts of being a stable and also a cross-platform programming language
• Perl is preferred for mission-critical projects in both the public and also private sectors
• Perl is described as an Open Source software that is licensed under its Artistic License to the GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Perl was built by Larry Wall
• Though Perl isn’t an official acronym, but there are some people who use it as Practical Extraction and Report Language

Applications of Perl

Just as previously mentioned in this article, Perl boasts of being listed among the most widely used programming language on the internet. Its applications include:

• Perl’s DBI package eases the web-database integration
• Many people know of Perl of being the duct-tape of the internet
• One can embed Perl into the web servers so that it can speed up the processing up to even 2000 percent 
• Perl can still be used in the encrypted web data, and also those of e-commerce transactions
• Perl is the most used popular programming language because of its text manipulation capabilities and also fast development cycle
• The Perl’s mod Perl enables the Apache webserver to embed a Perl interpreter

Larry Wall

Larry Wall is the founder of Perl. He grew up in Los Angeles and then Bremerton, Washington. He later went to higher education at Seattle Pacific University in 1976, where he focused on Chemistry and music. From there, he decided to do pre-medicine with several years of working in the University’s computing center, where he later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Natural and Artificial Languages. 

Besides that, Wall was a churchgoer since he was an active member of the New Life, Church of the Nazarene. 

Conclusion

It’s true to say that; there are many reasons that can back up Perl as being a high-level language. One of the reasons is that it has numerous steps that are removed from the original code that is run on a computer processor.