[chrsig]

awk is also a much smaller language than perl, so it's generally less effort to teach, learn, and read.

[Chris2048]

Is it not possible to learn a subset of perl?

[chrsig]

Learning any language more or less starts with learning a subset of it.

Asking a new hire to "learn awk" vs "learn perl" have two very different time investments attached to them.

Tasking someone with "learning a subset of perl" begets the question "what subset?", and a very exhausting conversation with someone(s) routinely asking "so?" follows. After spending a large amount of time re-litigating which subsets of perl features we want that awk already supplies.

[kazinator]

Which subset, and how do you ensure that every example you come across and everyone you work with sticks to that subset?