ANNOUNCE
PIKE 8.1 ANNOUNCEMENT
Pike is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language with a
syntax reminiscent of C and Java, and freely available and distributable
under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Pike is just as suitable for intricate and large applications as for
creating use-once scripts. When needed, you can also write
Pike modules in C, to gain better performance or access C
libraries. This is transparent to the module's users; the modules
written in C and those written in Pike are accessed in exactly the
same way.
Some Pike highlights:
+ Freely distributable under GPL, LGPL and MPL
+ Interpreted - no compilation and linking needed to run code
+ Object Oriented - straightforward and powerful object
orientation, including multiple inheritance
+ Modular - extendible with modules written in C or Pike
+ Powerful - high-level language, concise code
+ Source Code Available - promoting sharing of useful code
+ Portable - Platform independent and available on most common
flavors of Unix, as well as Windows and Amiga OS.
+ Powerful, Flexible and Efficient Data Types
+ Automatic Memory Management
+ Scalable - as useful for small scripts as for powerful and
complex applications.
+ Text Processing - e.g. for filtering
+ Exception Handling
+ Multi-Threaded Application Development Possible
+ Easy-to-Learn C-like Syntax
The standard Pike distribution comes with a number of modules for
various useful purposes. Among these are:
+ Image processing with support for several graphic file
formats (such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, Photoshop and Gimp), and
numerous image manipulation functions
+ Cryptographic functions, including SSL/TLS support
+ Database interface to several common SQL databases,
including MySQL, ODBC and Oracle
+ Embedding interfaces for Java and Perl
Some other modules include support for OpenGL, Gz, Gdbm, GTK, XML,
DVB and SDL.