UVTC's Blog

Gouda Rewrite

2013-02-04

This weekend I updated Gouda, a small doc processing tool. Some folks had pointed out to me that it would be better if it produced full navigation links on every page. I also wanted to change a thing or two besides, and the program was small enough, so I ended up rewriting it.

I rewrote it in Perl 5. The previous version was written in Python (I like Python), but this sort of script is Perl’s strong suit. Some niceties that Perl 5 offers which were too tasty to pass up this time around:

built-in regexes

string interpolation

file tests

commonly-used functions within easy reach ( glob , stat , exit , system , etc.)

, , , , etc.) lots of mature modules at the CPAN

{Edit} Add to that list:

anonymous local scopes

anonymous subroutines

One happy result of those items is that my lines of Perl code tended to be shorter than their Python equivalents; so, the new version doesn’t have as many long (or continued) lines as the previous version. For me at least, the shorter lines are easier to read, easier to type, and easier to fit in my editor window when its vertically split. :)

Also, maybe it’s just my editor’s syntax highlighting, but to me the Perl version with its sigils, curlies, and slightly more numerous operators seems a bit easier on the eyes than the previous version. Maybe chalk that up to personal preference though.

So, overall, happy with the results! Hope Gouda helps get more docs written and contributed to.