Req.for Advice: Learning Perl

[darren_uk]

Request for Advice on Learning Perl.

I need to come up to speed with Perl quickly.

I own "Learning Perl" but find that I personally am better at looking at
simple (and not so simple) examples, and probably moving onto more complex
examples.

For example, browsing some of the "How2" postings in this newsgroup and
trying to understand the answers seems to steepen the learning curve for me
- possibly this is because I'm a problem solver by nature and have 15 years
of support experience so running through someone else's code and figuring
out what it does is just the way I work best.


Based on the above, can anyone offer any suggestions on the best way I can
learn Perl, I'm due to begin a project in about a week's time and I'm
encouraged to gain as much Perl insight as I can, with a view to not only
understanding existing Perl script on site, but also to eventually develop
my own.


Of course, I will also continue with Programming Perl throughout the
projects, getting better and better with each passing week, but I need
enough to give me the tools to be able to tackle the Perl scripts from day
one.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[Eric Bohlman]

I need to come up to speed with Perl quickly.

I own "Learning Perl" but find that I personally am better at looking
at simple (and not so simple) examples, and probably moving onto more
complex examples.

For example, browsing some of the "How2" postings in this newsgroup
and trying to understand the answers seems to steepen the learning
curve for me - possibly this is because I'm a problem solver by nature
and have 15 years of support experience so running through someone
else's code and figuring out what it does is just the way I work best.

Sounds like _The Perl Cookbook_ is just the thing for you.

 

[darren_uk]

Sounds like _The Perl Cookbook_ is just the thing for you.

:-D

As soon as you mentioned that book, I thought, "I'm sure I've got that
somewhere". Sure enough, after much digging through archive boxes, I came
across a box with a bunch of computer books, including "Perl Cookbook" (and
found my "Perl5 Pocket Reference" too).

 

[Eric Bohlman]

As soon as you mentioned that book, I thought, "I'm sure I've got that
somewhere". Sure enough, after much digging through archive boxes, I
came across a box with a bunch of computer books, including "Perl
Cookbook" (and found my "Perl5 Pocket Reference" too).

Keep in mind that there's a second edition which was published in the last
year or so, and significantly expanded; the first edition is nearly 6 years
old. Nonetheless, the first edition should serve you well in the short-
term; just get the new one when you need to expand your horizons even
further.

 

[Ben Morrow]

Keep in mind that there's a second edition which was published in the last
year or so, and significantly expanded; the first edition is nearly 6 years
old. Nonetheless, the first edition should serve you well in the short-
term; just get the new one when you need to expand your horizons even
further.

Also keep in mind 'Perl Recipe of the Day' on perl.com

Ben

 

[Randal L. Schwartz]

darren> I own "Learning Perl" but find that I personally am better at looking at
darren> simple (and not so simple) examples, and probably moving onto more complex
darren> examples.

If you want lots and lots of examples (188 at last count),
check out my columns at

http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/WebTechniques/
http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/LinuxMag/
http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/UnixReview/
http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/PerlJournal/

The knowledge level varies.... the UnixReview series is probably the
easiest sequence because I don't have as much space to say things
there.

print "Just another guy who has had his name in print over 20 million times",