Do you have to standardize on the scripting language in a dev group?

Question

At work, we write a small or small number of scripts to help us in normal development. We have some people who are more convenient in python, some in perl, some in php, etc.

Sometimes I think it's best for people to work in the language they are most comfortable with. This may mean that sometimes people can work better on the script (as they know more tricks in one language). This can also lead to less development time per script.

In other cases, I think that we will benefit from standardization so that there are more shared libraries, and therefore we don’t get into the situation “I can’t work on this script because I don’t know python.”

Do you think we should standardize or let people choose for each script they write?

Answer 1

I would be inclined to let people choose and hire people who feel comfortable learning new things. Obtaining a basic level of language proficiency in almost any language should be simple enough for a good developer. And for small scripts, where the original author is just around the corner, this is even easier.

The second part above is, of course, the difficult part. But you will have a more flexible, more knowledgeable team.

Answer 2

I would advocate standardization in several languages. "You have to use either Python, or Perl, or Ruby. Not Rexx, nor PHP, nor NewBatch, or anything else, because your brothers should be able to read your letters without too much despair or cutting their skin."

Answer 3

My opinion is that it is similar to any other development environment. Do you standardize one development language? What for? The same should be true for your scripting environment. Not only do I tend to standardize in a particular language, I think you should standardize all the same things that we hopefully perform in your programming environment (naming conventions, coding style, etc.). Of course, there are countable arguments, and sometimes there will be exceptions, but, I hope, they will be few and for good reasons.

Answer 4

Like everyone, there are flaws and flaws.

As a developer, I do not like to be limited to the "official company standards." Most often, these rules tend to hold back and choke.

I think that the most important thing is to always have two people who can read and write the script language on staff so that one person can go on vacation or get sick without having to take up work.

For the main components of your system, it is probably best to standardize in one language - how painful it is to say that.

Answer 5

I think the right place to ask this question is your own team.

Your team must reach a consensus on whether they want a common platform or whether they want the freedom to choose the right tool for the job. There is no single best answer to this question, except for one best answer to "the best scripting language."

Of course, there are advantages to each approach. If each member of the team is free to choose their own language, they can be more productive and your business will benefit. On the other hand, if someone writes a critical tool in a language that only she knows, and then something happens to her (illness, new job, etc.), you can get stuck in one point of failure that no one knows how to fix it.

Answer 6

While the languages ​​in question are used for scripting, I agree with other commentators that they should be left in devteam, and in most cases, different languages ​​should be allowed.

If the language is used for your core code base, you better standardize it.

If some developers complain about a script that is not written in their language, ask them to study it, especially if it is one of the common ones, such as Ruby, Perl, etc.

Answer 7

No.

Your development environment, I hope, is a living being that changes and is cultivated. New features (scripting languages) should be staffed, and old places that have not been visited for years will someday be removed by tools or revised from time to time, and an assessment will be carried out. We hope that dev scripts are a small amount of development and automation. Most likely, the team will drift to a set of standards (ant, python, etc.).

Answer 8

Per Project, all that needs to be checked should probably follow the rule of minimal complexity.

Your team will one day leave, and someone else will have to come in and support it. Please do not force them to learn 5 languages, or they will look for your names in the source code for you to hunt.

When we picked up such projects, we largely considered the creators to be fools and ridiculed them. They could not bother to learn one scripting language.

However, if you do not check this - who needs it?