Perl training ...

[Krishna Chaitanya]

Hi all, I'm looking for an online training program for Perl ..... from
beginner to advanced ... do you know of such good & reliable courses?
Also, what in your thought is necessary for an experienced but non-
computer-graduate programmer to do to take their skills to the next
level...? A full-time college degree is nice but not often practical
due to difficulty in obtaining leave (esp. in recession times like
these) .... any "home remedies" ?

I've tried reading documents and tutorials on websites and books but
more often than not, I get bogged down by a lot of unfamiliar terms
from computer science and end up googling for hours on end on these
terms and definitions....it takes an awful lot of time to get around
to understanding the main issue that I began researching on...any help
or insight would be great!

 

[ccc31807]

Hi all, I'm looking for an online training program for Perl ..... from
beginner to advanced ... do you know of such good & reliable courses?

In my very humble opinion, you will mostly waste both your money and
your time by taking courses. The ONLY way you learn a technology is to
use it. After you have used a technology and know it fairly well,
training courses will help, but I certainly wouldn't expect a training
course to necessarily 'teach' a person to use a technology.

Also, what in your thought is necessary for an experienced but non-
computer-graduate programmer to do to take their skills to the next
level...?

Using the technology. Using it a lot. Using it every day for a period
of years. Using it for many different things. When you use a language,
you will run into problems, then you study and think about how to
solve the problem, and SOLVING THE PROBLEM will take you to the next
level. You don't rise by never solving problems.

A full-time college degree is nice but not often practical
due to difficulty in obtaining leave (esp. in recession times like
these) .... any "home remedies" ?

Yes. Program in the language, use it every day, use it to create
solutions for real problems. When it comes to it, and you need to
'prove' your mastery of a language, the entry level of evidence is the
degree, the novice level are various certifications (e.g., MCSD), the
journeyman level is a proven track record in holding a job, and the
master's level is code that you've written that works.

I've tried reading documents and tutorials on websites and books but
more often than not, I get bogged down by a lot of unfamiliar terms
from computer science and end up googling for hours on end on these
terms and definitions....it takes an awful lot of time to get around
to understanding the main issue that I began researching on...any help
or insight would be great!

Yeah, like what a closure is, or a call back, or the difference
between a variable and a reference. Don't worry about these things,
but get your hands dirty using the language. You won't learn it unless
you practice it a lot, same as with playing a musical instrument, or
riding a bicycle, or cooking, or playing golf. You don't learn these
things by reading a book or taking a course, but by doing them.

My advice: spend four hours a day writing in a language for four
years. Then you will no longer be a novice but a competent programmer.

CC

 

[Tad J McClellan]

Hi all, I'm looking for an online training program for Perl ..... from
beginner to advanced ... do you know of such good & reliable courses?

Beginning Perl

http://www.perl.org/books/beginning-perl/

 

[smallpond]

Hi all, I'm looking for an online training program for Perl ..... from
beginner to advanced ... do you know of such good & reliable courses?
Also, what in your thought is necessary for an experienced but non-
computer-graduate programmer to do to take their skills to the next
level...? A full-time college degree is nice but not often practical
due to difficulty in obtaining leave (esp. in recession times like
these) .... any "home remedies" ?

I've tried reading documents and tutorials on websites and books but
more often than not, I get bogged down by a lot of unfamiliar terms
from computer science and end up googling for hours on end on these
terms and definitions....it takes an awful lot of time to get around
to understanding the main issue that I began researching on...any help
or insight would be great!

If you don't have the patience to work your way through "Learning
Perl",
really the best way, then try the "Perl Cookbook" - which is easy to
grasp recipes for common programming tasks.
Both books from O'Reilly.

 

[Uri Guttman]

KC> Hi all, I'm looking for an online training program for Perl ..... from
KC> beginner to advanced ... do you know of such good & reliable courses?
KC> Also, what in your thought is necessary for an experienced but non-
KC> computer-graduate programmer to do to take their skills to the next
KC> level...? A full-time college degree is nice but not often practical
KC> due to difficulty in obtaining leave (esp. in recession times like
KC> these) .... any "home remedies" ?

the o'reilly school of technology is developing a perl course right
now. the first course is targeted to be out in september with 3 higher
level courses to follow.

KC> I've tried reading documents and tutorials on websites and books but
KC> more often than not, I get bogged down by a lot of unfamiliar terms
KC> from computer science and end up googling for hours on end on these
KC> terms and definitions....it takes an awful lot of time to get around
KC> to understanding the main issue that I began researching on...any help
KC> or insight would be great!

i know the group and authors behind the o'reilly perl classes and they
are definitely aimed at people like you. if you can wait until the first
one is completed, i would say you should sign up.

uri