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Perl @ Web Programming
Programming Shed : Programmer Store & Resources |
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Perl Index - Perl Book :
Perl: The Programmer's Companion
by Nigel Chapman Paperback: 292 pages Dimensions (in inches): 0.73 x 9.08 x 7.44 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 047197563X; 1 edition (September 25, 1997) There are now a number of good Perl books available, but this excellent contribution stands out in a number of ways (apart from the rarity that it's not from O'Reilly). The most significant way may be that Perl's computer-scientist author advocates the use of Perl as a full-fledged programming language in addition to recommending its use for system administration or CGI programs. This book is a fine introduction to Perl for experienced C, C++, and Java programmers. Perl has plenty of sidebars that explain the differences between Perl and these other languages and how Perl can help you overcome the limitations of these languages. Chapman starts off with language basics, but instead of listing all the basic constructs and introducing the obligatory "Hello, world!" program, he introduces you to what he terms "programming idioms." This thought-provoking approach gradually eases you into learning the basic Perl constructs without presenting you with dry examples and tables of potentially confusing information. By the time you realize what's going on, it's too late: you've already learned something. The book has some great chapters, and it even describes how to scope variables correctly (apparently no mean feat, since few tutorials get it right). The advanced chapters on references and objects really shine. Examples of objects lead you through a logical progression from project visualization to finished product. The author then assists you in creating a set of modules that calculate taxes for a small town, where different rates exist for business and residential buildings. Here, the guide introduces and explains several key concepts for Perl object manipulation. The examples in the book make sense and, best of all, they are original and have real-world relevance. When explaining pack() and unpack(), the author creates a wonderful example of parsing the headers of a MIDI file to gather track data and then process the individual tracks of the file. While the book does not pack the heft of some Perl tomes (it only contains 273 pages), it's crammed with great examples and ideas. In short, Perl: The Programmer's Companionis a great addition to any Perl programmer's library. Ingram: With the increase in Web-based technology, Perl has become the language of choice for creating CGI applications, an essential process for creating large Web pages. This book introduces the latest version, Perl5, to programmers, illustrating the language's strengths and weaknesses. This title shows how to write sophisticated Perl scripts and covers all of the new benefits of Perl5. Book Info: Shows programmers who are familiar with Java, C and C++ the power of Perl and introduces them to its unique features. Includes a description of new Perl 5 language extensions & characteristics such as the object-oriented features. Show how to use Perl on the Web and more. The publisher, John Wiley & Sons: An introduction to the latest version of Perl. With the increase in Web-based technology, Perl has become the language of choice for creating CGI applications, an essential process for creating large Web pages. This book introduces the latest version, Perl5, to programmers, illustrating the language's strengths and weaknesses. It teaches programmers how to write sophisticated Perl scripts and covers all of the new benefits of Perl5, including improved reusability and enhanced object-oriented programming support. Customer Reviews Reviewer: jon@amxstudios.com from London, England The book has interesting things to say, and explains a number of tricky Perlisms quite nicely (e.g. eval() for exception handling). Sadly, the design, typography and layout of the book are average, with confusing diagrams, poor choice of fonts, and some silly iconography. The result is that this book is a worthwhile front to back read, but as a reference or 'companion' you would be better off with 'Effective Perl Programming'. Reviewer: bottoni@cadlab.it from Bologna, Italy When I bought "Perl: The Programmer's Companion", I had a number of others books on Perl already, among which the well-known "Camel book" ("Programming Perl" by Larry Wall et al.). None of those books satisfied me: they were written by people more good at writing smart programs than understandable manuals. "Perl: The Programmer's Companion" belongs to an higher class: the class of book written by talented, professional teachers. In this book, every single feature of Perl is clearly explained in detail. You can find simple, clear, meaningful and reusable examples of every element of the language. The book is clearly structured and it is easy to find what you need. The author demonstrates a clear understanding of the human learning process, besides a clear dominance of the Perl language. You can follow him trustfully and relaxed: he will tell you what you need to know, without overloading and confusing you with irrelevant details. If you are looking for your first (and last) book on Perl, this is the best you can find on the market. Reviewer: A reader from San Francisco Easy to read, with many useful code examples in every chapter which I could use immedialtely in my work. I liked it a lot, and since I have plenty of *real* exercises from my job, I didn't miss the lack of contrived exercises at all! Reviewer: Colin_Davies@excite.com from Los Angeles, California One of the other reviewers (who gave the book only 2 stars) complained: >The wording was difficult to interpret. It seemed as if it was written for someone in their fourth year of college at Harvard University (which sort of an exagerration, but it did seem like that at times). The reviewer may not realize that the author is British. The British generally seem to be more articulate than Americans, so the language reflects that difference. That aside, this book is a good choice for new Perl programmers, in that it is less "techie", although it still has some real substance to it. |
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