Version 6 of the popular Perl programming language will not be compatible with previous versions, but will open up a new world of custom “languages” and interpreters, according to its founder Larry Wall.

Perl's 21st anniversary of release is next Thursday, 18 December. Perl 5 is already 14 years old. Though the language has seen many changes since 1994, it can't stand still. Perl 5.10 added many wonderful features and Perl 6 will change the landscape for programming languages, but what's the vision for Perl 5? How can the language stay relevant?

"...Perl 6 is a rewrite of the Perl language. It will feel Perly, and yet become more modern as it pulls in influences from languages like Ruby and Haskell.

Technically, Perl 6 is just a language specification, and there are at least two implementations underway..."

Lately, the Perl language has had less buzz surrounding it than many other languages and development environments, but Perl is still a key component on the Internet.

Perl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier.

Teaching young students or even your own kids to learn or be interested in programming can be really daunting. However, there are free programming languages that are designed to teach children the basic concepts and elements required in traditional programming that you can use to get the job done quite easily.

"I have just finished learning the programming language Perl, and let me tell you, this is one amazing language. It can do almost anything! It's very easy to learn if you have a knowledge of C or C++. If you don't, I suggest learning Python first..."

Once one of the pillars of the Internet, is Perl now fading away -- or will Perl 6 will spark a renaissance for the programming language?

"On this 20th birthday of Perl, I'd like to express my appreciation to Larry Wall (and his family) for the many years of leadership, dedication, wit, wisdom, and sacrifice that he has put into Perl. Of course, there are many more people who deserve our thanks for Perl, too many to list here, but Larry has always been a fixture of the community and I'm so thankful for his efforts..."