Sunday, July 26, 2015

Comparing Perl and Python Site Landing Pages





I thought I would compare the contents of the landing
pages of www.perl.org
and www.python.org.

Main Focus

Perl's page has CPAN, its extensive library, front and centre in
the largest fonts. Python's page has a dynamic display of  code
samples aimed at interesting the programmer in another language.

Secondary focus

Contrasting the sections other than the main focus:


Section

Perl

Python

Tutorials

Comment and link

“Get Started” Comment and link

Community

Menu,;comment and link

Menu, Section with links

Documentation

Comment and link

Menu; Comment and link. End section with events by category.

Contribute

Comment and links

“Python Enhancement Proposals” Section with link.
End section with events by category.

Library

Main focus as well as secondary comment and link and ticker
section showing latest uploads.

Only as part of “Docs” section

Community Events

Comment and link

Section with latest dated links. End section with events by
category.

Co-promoted language

Perl 6 Comment and links

Python2 as well as Python 3 in Download section with link data
on what version to use.

Language Foundation

“The Perl Foundation” Comment and link

“Python Software Foundation” Comment and link

News

Section with links to latest events

Section with links to latest events. End section with events
by category.

Current version

Displayed with download link

Displayed with download links.

Blurb

Tip section, currently: “Perl – Program Different

Part of the pages main focus: “Python is a programming
language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more
effectively.”






Extras







The Perl page is a comfortable screen-full that can be read on
most PC's without scrolling. The Python page is around twice that
size.

Design

Perls' landing page design is redolent of
the Camel
book
in its design, and seems straight-forward and to the point.
The Python page makes more of HTML in
that the centrepiece is a slowly changing view of code samples and
the main menu bar auto-opens min, styled, pages with much better
presentation than the standard drop-down menu bar. Fonts seem larger
and there is greater use of white-space on the Python site.

Unique Bits.

Python does have the following sections
that are not on the smaller Perl landing page:

    • Example code

    • Jobs.

    • Success Stories – both in the main menu and in a
      highlighted section that you page-down to.

    • “Use Python for...” pointers to successful
      projects using python in categorised areas.

    • “Python Enhancement Proposals” Pythons
      standardised procedure for proposing changes to the language.

    • “Diversity Initiatives” As the first section
      of the Community drop-down menu but also as a link in the page
      footer to a sub-page of the community section of the site.
Perl has the following feature missing from Python:

    • A google translate option for the page as part of the page
      footer.

      Python has no such feature, but it does have links to
      documentation in languages other than English hidden under the
      Documentation menu item



Conclusions

What conclusions? I use both languages. I know of and support the style of the Perl page which in some ways is like the less cluttered google search page and shows its Unix roots (yah!). I also like the more “designed to market” approach of the Python page, which seems as if if may have a greater appeal to the “pointy haired boss” of the purse strings as well as the programmer looking for skills that may directly lead to employment (because it says so up front for those of low attention spans).