Yes you can use
other programming languages
with AOLserver besides Tcl and C. However, no one much bothers.
AOLserver's integration with Tcl is excellent, so that's basically
what everyone serious uses for development. There
are people
running out-of-the-box PHP apps with AOLserver, and probably others
doing the same with Java, but that's a different sort of thing.
Whether the programmers you hire already know Tcl or not is close to
the last thing you should be worrying about. Any good programmer can
and will reach basic proficiency with Tcl in a few days, and true
expertise in a few weeks (or perhaps months). This is not
hypothetical, I've seen that myself first hand.
Actually, I've also seen people I wouldn't be willing to hire
as programmers, because they weren't really good enough, also
learn enough Tcl to do basic OpenACS work within days. Tcl simply
isn't that hard.
And Dave is exactly right that when it comes to learning OpenACS, Tcl
is the quick and easy part.
