Other than (or, in addition to) the community, Perl's biggest killer "app" is certainly CPAN. There have been and still are efforts to create "CPAN's" for other languages like Python's Python Packages Index, PHP's PEAR, Java's CJAN (I think... this Java stuff always seems to appear and disappear), etc.

But, CPAN still remains un-paralleled. However, that could all change with Parrot.

Assuming that people out there (and, I am sure this will happen) port Python and PHP and Ruby and whatever else, to run on Parrot; it would be easy to assume that these languages could then use the modules on CPAN that, also, run on Parrot. That would open up this whole huge library to any number of scripting languages. Of course, I am not sure of the logisitics of it. I am not sure what conventions would need to be setup to import libraries of Parrot byte-code into the different languages, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will be done.

J$
#!/usr/bin/perl
J=>money
;$_=ord$"<<s>>$J>,s-.-
$&*$'+$&-e&&y[%_(8)]]J]
&&print chop;print chr

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This is doubtful,
The creators of CPAN have already asserted that it will remain an archive of perl code- for various reasons. You may want to read ZCAN: http://www.cpan.org/misc/ZCAN.html. It's pretty interesting and makes a lot of valid points.

Posted by Gyan Kapur on June 27, 2003 11:56 PM

CPAN == repository of Perl code i.e. Perl 6 code.

Perl 6 code compiles into Parrot byte-code.

PHP/Python/Ruby compiles into Parrot byte-code.

So, yes, CPAN would remain Perl code. However, after compiling the Perl code to Parrot byte code, it should be possible to use that in PHP that was compiled into Parrot byte code. And, that would be just cool.

Posted by J$ on July 1, 2003 12:33 AM