C++ and C
Pike looks a lot like C++ on the surface, but is easier and safer
to use. Since it is interpreted, it may be slower for some
applications. Pike is more flexible than C++, and allows for a
somewhat less rigid programming style than what is necessary in C++.
Another difference is that there are many different C and C++
compilers, while there is only one implementation of Pike.
Java
Pike looks a bit like Java on the surface. Like Java, Pike is
translated to an intermediate format, which is then executed by an
interpreter. Java programs are usually distributed to the user in this
intermediate format, but with Pike we use the source code. This is
feasible since compilation time, i. e. the time it takes to translate
the program to the intermediate format, is almost zero in Pike.
Perl
Perl started on Unix systems as a system administration tool. Both
Pike and Perl are good at handling strings, and both can be used to
add functionality to web servers. Perl is much more widely used than
Pike. Some programmers feel that the syntax of Perl is obscure.
Python
Programs written in Python look very different from Pike programs,
but Python and Pike are similar when it comes to ideas and use. Python
is more widely used and has more libraries available. Pike on the
other hand is faster, has a more advanced type system, and has better
support for object-oriented programming. Pike's more C++-like syntax
makes it easier to get started with for programmers who know C++, C or
Java.
