Uses similar patterns for list primitives as Prolog. Includes name encapsulation, strong type-checking at compile time. PERL NOT a minimal language. C-like syntax, with extensions. Packages include schemes for interfacing with common Data Base sys- tems.
Inheritance hierarchy is a tree.
Has no templates, but every class inherits from Object, and this universal class can be used for variables which store objects. The objects can later be cast, but only back to the class they started from. Very popular language. Class for hashtables in extensions, indexed by any Class, and storing any Class. However, this does not provide memo- functions.