WHAT IS THE PERL COMMUNITY ROADMAP?

The Perl Community Roadmap is a collection of centralized plans & resources available here, implemented & distributed by the decentralized Perl Mongers groups around the world.
Yes, that means YOU!

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE FACING PERL?

The Managed Decline of Perl

"If the Perl community cannot attract beginner users like Python successfully has, it runs the risk of ... dwindling away to a standstill; vast repositories of hieroglyphic code looming ... like the halls of the Mines of Moria"
Dice Insights, August 2018

"Still today the Perl community hasn't defined a clear future, and as a consequence, it is slowly fading away."
Programmer News, April 2018

WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR PERL?

Put Perl Back On Top
...
Achieve #1 TIOBE Rank
...
Save the World

WHAT ARE OUR GOALS FOR PERL?

* Perl curriculum in every school
* Perl jobs in every company
* Perl apps on every device
* Perl accessible to every person
* Perl as the fastest language
* Perl as the most popular language

WHAT ARE OUR SOLUTIONS FOR PERL?

Education

Perl classes should be taught in every high school, college, and university. We will start by targeting teenagers, who are most likely to be interested in becoming software developers.

Industry

Perl jobs should be created at every corporation, non-profit group, and NGO. We will start by implementing machine learning algorithms, which are central to modern industry trends.

Apps

Perl software should be used on every mobile device, personal computer, and supercomputer. We will start by implementing 3D graphics rendering systems, which can be utilized by games, VR, AR, scientific applications, etc.

Accessibility

Perl should be easier to access than every other computer programming language. We will start with OS-specific installers, OS-independent containers, and the CloudForFree platform.

Performance

Perl should be faster than every other computer programming language. We will start with the RPerl optimizing and auto-parallelizing compiler.

Marketing

Perl should be more ubiquitous than every other computer programming language. We will start with a digital advertising campaign for software development news websites.

COMMITTEES

Organizing Perl's Future

  • In the past, Perl clubs and working groups could be found in every major city.
  • Currently, only a few Perl Mongers remain, along with the invitation-only TPF and PSC.
  • Efforts to form new Perl groups are met with indifference or rejection.
  • We are now creating new Perl committees, targeting new and existing Perl programmers.
  • Each Perl committee will organize official software projects and activities for the entire Perl community world-wide.
  • The goal is to create a committee for every major component of Perl!

EDUCATION

No Programmer Left Behind

  • In the past, Perl classes could be found at many educational institutions.
  • Currently, most software courses teach either Python or (worse yet) Java.
  • Efforts to form new Perl classes are met with indifference or rejection.
  • We are now creating a new Perl curriculum and educational gaming platform, targeting teens and young adults.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize fun educational activities in their local libraries, community centers, and schools.
  • The goal is to have our Perl curriculum in every school on Earth!

INDUSTRY

Programming Makes The World Go Round

  • In the past, Perl jobs could be found at many major employers.
  • Currently, most software jobs require either Python or (worse yet) Java.
  • Efforts to design new Perl products are met with indifference or rejection.
    • (Starting to sound familiar?)
  • We are now creating a new collection of Perl libraries, for use in cutting-edge scientific and machine learning software products.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize live demos and mini job fairs with their local corporations and software development employers.
  • The goal is to have Perl jobs in every company on Earth!

APPS

Variety Is The Spice Of Programming

  • In the past, Perl applications could be found on most computers.
  • Currently, most new apps are written in Objective-C, JavaScript, Python, Java, and dozens of other so-called "fad languages".
  • Efforts to distribute new Perl apps are met with indifference or rejection.
    • (Notice a pattern yet???)
  • We are now creating a new collection of Perl apps, including video games, an office suite, various mobile tools, and solutions to the Grand Challenge problems.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize regular hackathons in their local hackerspaces and coffee shops.
  • The goal is to have our Perl apps on every digital device on Earth!

ACCESSIBILITY

Make Every Single Program
Accessible To Every Single Person

  • In the past, CPAN was the only centralized way to install Perl software.
  • Currently, most new software is installed via operating system packages and cross-platform containers, or accessed online with no installion at all.
  • Efforts to install new Perl software are often fraught with incompatibilities, missing non-Perl libraries, and failed CPAN test suites.
    • (Just tell Grandma to type `cpanm --notest --force Dancer2`)
  • We are now creating a new collection of Perl access points, including DEB packages, RPM packages, Docker containers, VirtualBox images, and the CloudForFree platform.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize regular installfests and accessibility clinics in their local universities, corporations, and community venues.
  • The goal is to have every piece of Perl software accessible to every human being using every operating system on Earth!

PERFORMANCE

Programs Have A Serious Need For Speed

  • In the past, XS + C was the only native way to make Perl run fast.
  • Currently, most new software is written using pure C or C++ when runtime performance matters.
  • Efforts to write new high-performance Perl software are often fraught with incomprehensible manual optimizations, 3rd-party C libraries, and other non-Perl solutions.
    • (Just try using BioPerl without the BLAST C libraries...)
  • We are now developing the RPerl compiler, which provides startup optimization, serial runtime optimization, automatic parallelization, and memory usage minimization.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize annual speed competitions with their local non-Perl programming clubs.
  • The goal is for Perl to be the fastest language on Earth!

MARKETING

Our Programming Culture Is Our Brand

  • In the past, Perl was the language of choice for most web-based and scripting and rapid development software.
  • Currently, most word-of-mouth promotion is focused on Python.
  • Efforts to promote new Perl technologies are met with the same tired cliché: "Perl Is Dead"
    • (Just try selling Perl to your local software company's management...)
  • We are now creating a new collection of Perl marketing materials, including various video series, podcast talk shows, promotional schwag such as t-shirts and stickers and coffee mugs, tri-fold brochures, handbill flyers, authoritative white papers, academic research papers, publishable news articles, personal blog posts, colorful infographics, and commercial banner ads.
  • Each Perl Mongers group will organize the ongoing promo parties to encourage the distribution and publication of the marketing materials at their local news outlets, professional computer conferences, and open source events.
  • The goal is for Perl to be the most popular language on Earth!

RAKU

The Programming Language
Formerly Known As Perl 6

  • The Raku language was designed by Larry Wall as a successor to Perl.
  • Over the years, Raku and Perl diverged rather than converged.
  • Raku's usage of the Perl name is "confusing and irritating".
  • Raku is in the process of officialy removing the Perl name.
  • Some developers may choose to continue using both Raku and Perl.
  • We wish Raku only the best, and Godspeed in all future endeavors!

ENDORSEMENTS

"In 2012 I created the RPerl compiler and helped found the Perl 11 movement. The Perl Community Roadmap is the culmination of many decades of hard work and dedication. We are standing on the shoulders of giants."

Will 'the Chill' Braswell
President, Austin Perl Mongers

"My passion is Perl, and my goal is for Perl to meet the increasingly-complex needs of the global technology industry. I have been working with the Perl 11 team for several years, and I personally helped develop the Perl Community Roadmap. Let's work together to help make Perl better, faster, and stronger than ever!"

Tommy Butler
President, Dallas Perl Mongers