On 15 August 2011 04:59, Sebastien Lai
<237482@googlemail.com> wrote:
Lua:
Contra:
+ lacks classes per se as known from java, c++, delphi, and co
(but are creatable with metatables, but it may be irritating to new
users)
That is, in fact, a selling point to me. I swallowed the OOP Kool-Aid a long time ago but have since outgrown it and view it as simply another tool on the tool belt. I don't like having it forced on me any longer, although having it available is nice (which it is in Lua).
+ veeeery tiny standardlib, completely lacking proper
file/directory interactions (but there is still lfs)
This is another selling point. It allows me to embed only the features I need through an opt-in process instead of having to try and pare things away.
+ lacking bitwise operators (there's still the bit module)
Personal opinion: if you're doing bitwise operations in a scripting language you are likely doing something wrong. This isn't always true, hence the library, but I'm not certain that bitwise operators belong in the language proper. (Actually I am certain. They don't.)
+ stackbased API that might confuse new users who have
previously worked with pythons C API or tcls C API (or similar APIs)
Again, this is a selling point as far as I'm concerned. Python's C API is a nightmare.
+ table interactions can lead to confusing, and long code in the
C API due to stackbased programming
There's this concept called "functional composition". It helps wrap up the confusing code while keeping the actual client code clean and readable.
Squirrel:
Pro:
+ classes and namespaces are part of the language
To me this is a con.
+ easy to learn syntax due to similarity to C++, Java, _javascript_
To me this is a con. I'm tired of the squiggly brace crowd. Different semantics should have different syntax.
+ constant and static values are part of the language
Again, if you need this kind of stuff in your scripting language you're probably doing something wrong.
Contra:
+ classes can have a constructor, but apparently no destructor
It's a memory-managed language. There's no destructor in Java either, not, nor C# nor. (There are finalizers in these, but you're basically screwed if you rely on them.)
