Learning Perl, Third Edition ANNOTATION
The most popular introductory Perl language tutorial has been revised to include CGI scripting and updated to Perl 5.004. Introduces the Perl environment then focuses on the syntax and structure of the language itself. Explains scalar data concepts, lists, arrays and control structures. Clarifies hashes, shows how to use functions, regular expressions and pass arguments. This is also a guide through file handles, file tests, formats and fieldholders. Covers topics on file and directory manipulation, process management, data transformation and database access. Concludes with a good introduction to CGI scripting in preparation for advanced Perl topics. Text is well organized and topics are clearly explained. Exercises, questions and solutions are in the publication, along with supplementary material online.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In this update of a bestseller, two leading Perl trainers teach you to use the most universal scripting language in the age of the World Wide Web. Now current for Perl version 5.004, this hands-on tutorial includes a lengthy new chapter on CGI programming, while touching also on the use of library modules, references, and Perl's object-oriented constructs.
SYNOPSIS
If you ask Perl programmers today what book they relied on most when they were learning Perl, you'll find that an overwhelming majority will name Learning Perl--also known affectionately as "the Llama." The first edition of Learning Perl appeared in 1993 and has been a bestseller ever since. Written by two of the most prominent and active members of the Perl community, this book is the quintessential tutorial for the Perl programming language.
Perl began as a tool for Unix system administrators, used for countless small tasks throughout the workday. It has since blossomed into a full-featured programming language on practically every computing platform, and is used for web programming, database manipulation, XML processing, and (of course) system administration--all this while still remaining the perfect tool for the small daily tasks it was designed for. Perl is quick, fun, and eminently useful. Many people start using Perl because they need it, but they continue to use Perl because they love it.
The third edition of Learning Perl has not only been updated for Perl 5.6, but has also been rewritten from the ground up to reflect the needs of programmers learning Perl today. Informed by their years of success at teaching Perl as consultants, the authors have re-engineered the book to better match the pace and scope appropriate for readers trying to get started with Perl, while retaining the detailed discussion, thorough examples, and eclectic wit for which the book is famous.
This edition of the Llama includes an expanded and more gently-paced introduction to regular expressions, new exercises and solutions designed so readers can practice what they've learned while it's still fresh in their minds, and an overall reworking to bring Learning Perl into the new millennium.
Perl is a language for getting your job done. Other books may teach you to program in Perl, but this book will turn you into a Perl programmer.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
A hands-on tutorial featuring exercises and complete solutions, covering basics rather than advanced issues. Contents include Perl basics, the language's broad capabilities, brief code examples, system commands, and how to manage DBM databases using Perl. This second edition contains a new chapter on CGI programming. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.