Overview
Learning Perl, popularly known as "the Ilama book" is what most programmers use to get started with Perl. This bestselling Perl tutorial, first published in 1993 and now in its fifth edition, covers recent changes to the language up to and including Perl 5.10.This book reflects the combined experience of its authors who have taught Perl at Stonehenge Consulting since 1991. Years of classroom testing and experience helped shape the book's pace and scope, and the exercises at the end of each chapter let you practice the concepts while you follow along with the text. Topics in this fifth edition include: Perl data and variable types, Subroutines, File operations, Regular expressions, String manipulation, Lists and sorting, Process management, Smart matching, Third-party modules.
Perl is the language for people who want to get work done. Originally targeted to sysadmins for heavy-duty text processing, Perl is now a full-featured programming language suitable for almost any task on almost any platform-from short fixes on the command line to web applications, bioinformatics, finance, and much more. Other books may teach you to program in Perl, but Learning Perl will turn you into a Perl programmer.
About the Author:
Randal Schwartz started Stonehenge Consulting Services in 1985 and built it into the premier Perl training shop. He's written numerous books and magazine columns on Perl over the past two decades
About the Author:
Tom Phoenix is a Perl trainer at Stonehenge Consulting and a frequent contributor to the Perl beginner's list
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.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewWant to learn Perl? Any Perlmonger will tell you where to start -- with “the Llama book,” Learning Perl. Now’s the time: It’s just been thoroughly updated for Perl 5.8 and reorganized to be even more effective at teaching Perl novices.
No introductory guide can cover all of Perl, but Learning Perl cover all you need to get seriously productive: scalar data, lists, arrays, subroutines, I/O, hashes, control structures, strings, sorting, processes, and more. This edition’s additions include a new chapter on Perl’s invaluable CPAN archive, plus significantly improved coverage of regular expressions.
Learning Perl’s exercises have been refined through live instruction to thousands of students; they’re truly worth your time. They’ll go a long way towards helping you achieve this book’s core goal: not just to teach you Perl but to transform you into a Perl programmer. Bill Camarda, from the September 2005 Read Only