> Most Linux and Unix systems include Perl by default
So what's important is that the system already has the language installed and so it's not worth considering options you need to install yourself.
So what's important is that the system already has the language installed and so it's not worth considering options you need to install yourself.
OP asked, "What are the most interesting, alternatives for simple scripts."
My answer is Perl is a useful alterative to Bash for simple scripts.
I did not say that other scripting languages that needed components or a runtime installed were not viable alternative or not useful.
However, I would argue that part of the reason that Bash scripts are frequently used is that Bash is widely available and installed by default.
In such environments where Bash is installed by default frequently Perl is also installed by default. Thus it might be a suitable alternative to Bash depending on the purposes of the script.