where can I use PERL? is PERL worth learning?

[sweet_dreams]

hi all,
I am programmer with 2 years experience in ASP and Visual Basic and one

year experience in PHP/MySQL. Now I am changing job but I still would
like to be in charge of programmiong web sites. Do you think I should
learn PERL? In what appliocations PERL can be useful? Is PERL the way
to enhance web sites created in PHP?

Please help.

Regards,
sweet_dreams.

 

[Randal L. Schwartz]

sweet> I am programmer with 2 years experience in ASP and Visual Basic and one

sweet> year experience in PHP/MySQL. Now I am changing job but I still would
sweet> like to be in charge of programmiong web sites. Do you think I should
sweet> learn PERL? In what appliocations PERL can be useful? Is PERL the way
sweet> to enhance web sites created in PHP?

PERL? You mean Protecting Escarpment Rural Lands
at www.perlofburlington.org ?

I didn't know a canadian non-profit organization can be used for
building websites. After all, their website is pretty junky.

If you're talking about the subject of *this* newsgroup, it's
"Perl" for the language, or "perl" for the primary execution program.

print "Just another Perl hacker,"; # the original

--
Randal L. Schwartz - Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc. - +1 503 777 0095
<[email protected]> <URL:http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/>
Perl/Unix/security consulting, Technical writing, Comedy, etc. etc.
See PerlTraining.Stonehenge.com for onsite and open-enrollment Perl training!
*** ***

 

[Michele Dondi]

hi all,
I am programmer with 2 years experience in ASP and Visual Basic and one

year experience in PHP/MySQL. Now I am changing job but I still would
like to be in charge of programmiong web sites. Do you think I should
learn PERL? In what appliocations PERL can be useful? Is PERL the way
to enhance web sites created in PHP?

Perl (with a capital "P" - but not fully capitalized as it is *not* an
acronym) is a full-fledged language. Indeed one typical but by no
means exclusive area of application for it is web development. This is
a Perl newsgroup, so you're likely to receive answers telling you that
yes, you should learn it. But I'll give you an advice: don't give the
impression of mistaking Perl for a "programmiong web sites" thing -
this will get on the nerves of many regulars here, and rightly IMHO.

If you ask me, taking for granted that Perl is suitable for the task
you describe, and that there are current frameworks which are "hot
topics" related to it, e.g. catalyst or maypole, then I'd just say
that you should try to pick it up and see if you like it. With
languages it's just like with so many other things: you may like them
or dislike them and there may not be a "rational", universal reason
why. Some feel comfortable with Python's "there must be only one way
to do it" philosophy and forced indentation - I couldn't get away from
Perl's free form and magic. It's up to you to check whether it is
appropriate for your tastes and if it will provide a tool you will be
*happy* to work with...


Michele

 

[A. Sinan Unur]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in @y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

hi all,
I am programmer with 2 years experience in ASP and Visual Basic and one

year experience in PHP/MySQL. Now I am changing job but I still would
like to be in charge of programmiong web sites. Do you think I should
learn PERL? In what appliocations PERL can be useful? Is PERL the way
to enhance web sites created in PHP?

No. Perl is useless. You would be wasting your time.

Sinan
--
A. Sinan Unur <[email protected]>
(remove .invalid and reverse each component for email address)

comp.lang.perl.misc guidelines on the WWW:
http://augustmail.com/~tadmc/clpmisc/clpmisc_guidelines.html

 

[Matt Garrish]

sweet> I am programmer with 2 years experience in ASP and Visual Basic and
one

sweet> year experience in PHP/MySQL. Now I am changing job but I still
would
sweet> like to be in charge of programmiong web sites. Do you think I
should
sweet> learn PERL? In what appliocations PERL can be useful? Is PERL the
way
sweet> to enhance web sites created in PHP?

PERL? You mean Protecting Escarpment Rural Lands
at www.perlofburlington.org ?

I didn't know a canadian non-profit organization can be used for
building websites. After all, their website is pretty junky.

So is their city... : )

Matt

 

[jdrago_999]

Hi SD,

(People are very picky about how you spell Perl).

Yes, Perl would probably help you out a lot. I have been using Perl
"since the 90's" and it's helped me out a lot. I can only expect that
it can help you too.

Here are some tips that will help you get going:

1) Pick up a copy of "Programming Perl", also known as "The Camel
Book". Read it from page 1 all the way to the end. If you don't find
the book entertaining, funny, informative and insightful you may as
well stop right away and go learn Java or .NET.

2) Find yourself a good Perl editor. If you are using Windows on your
personal computer, check out OptiPerl from www.xarka.com - otherwise
you may be best with VI or Komodo.

3) Go to http://search.cpan.org/ and just *LOOK* to see what kinds of
modules there are out there. It is truly amazing all the wonderful
extensions to Perl that have been written by its thousands of users. I
can't think of a single project I have worked on using Perl that has
not benefited from the use of many CPAN modules.

4) Go to http://www.perlmonks.org/ and read the archives. That site
has answers to every newbie question you will ever ask. Reading the
answers there will save yourself time, and will prevent others from
becoming annoyed by answering questions that have been answered dozens
of times already.

Although I recognize that I speak only for myself, it seems to me that
the Perl community is largely made up of the following:
1 -> Newbies that refer to Perl as "PERL" or CGI. These tend to find
"PERL" scripts on Hotscripts.com and frequently post here asking "My
server give me a 500 error - what this mean?????????"

2 -> Perl elitist assholes (see the other replies to your question).
They latched onto Perl a long time ago and, if not for their
contributions to Perl and their advocacy of it, would have been booed
off a long time ago as well.

3 -> Geniuses ( Larry Wall, Audrey Tang, Damion Conway, Tim Bunce, Tony
Bowden, Elizabeth Mattijsen, Leo Tolsch, Ovid, chromatic, etc, etc,etc
). These are Visionaries and Saints that save thousands of Perl
hackers lifetimes of work every day, simply by making their hard work
available to the public.

Good luck and happy coding.
- John Drago

 

[jdrago_999]

I should point out that one of the other people who replied to your
post happened to co-author "Programming Perl".

This pretty much validates my second point above.

 

[Matt Garrish]

I should point out that one of the other people who replied to your
post happened to co-author "Programming Perl".

This pretty much validates my second point above.

That validates getting a good Perl editor? Rather than espousing the world
according to Drago you might consider learning how to post properly, and
just maybe make some effort to contribute something useful. If not, then you
fit into the leecher category you forgot to mention, and I for one would
much rather read the ramblings of an intelligent arse than a half-wit
whiner.

Matt

 

[jdrago_999]

Matt,

you might consider learning how to post properly,

I posted using Google - Where did you post?

X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2869 ....
Message-ID: <[email protected]>

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make there - maybe you can
explain.

And you continue:

and just maybe make some effort to contribute something useful

"Useful" - like a spelling lesson for someone whose first language does
not appear to be English? Mkay...
Speaking of Google - ever search Google using the term: "Matt Garrish"
+troll?

If not, then you fit into the leecher category you forgot to mention

Actually I'm not sure I would call that part of the "community" - maybe
part of the "user base". However if they ask questions on the
newsgroups or mailing lists that *result* in decent answers (which
could possibly get indexed and become results for someone else later)
then hey - it's better than nothing I suppose.

There will always be "newbies" - you were one once too:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt....cf5f1c9a2?lnk=st&q="matthew.garrish"&rnum=899
Just under 5 years ago. You looked around at the available resources.
You found nothing. To solve the problem you were going to have to
"think outside the box".

Mr. Schwartz pointed you in the right direction, without the spelling
bee.

If you want to contribute something useful, maybe start by stopping.
Stop flaming people every chance you get.
Stop adding searchable references to your history as a troll.
Stop associating yourself with the work of those who have put you in a
position to help, when instead you choose to attract criticism instead
of attracting more users.
Stop contributing to the trepidation newcomers feel when they have a
question - they have enough problems without some asshole flaming them
because the wrote "PERL".

Nobody cares if you know the difference between Perl and perl.

With advocates like you, Perl doesn't need enemies.

 

[A. Sinan Unur]

Matt,


I posted using Google - Where did you post?

What newsreader you use is beside the point. A proper post includes
attributions as well as quoted material

And you continue:

"Useful" - like a spelling lesson for someone whose first language
does not appear to be English? Mkay...

Are you claiming that 'useful' is supposed to be spelled differently?

You are wrong.

Off to the killfile you go. Bye!

Sinan
--
A. Sinan Unur <[email protected]>
(remove .invalid and reverse each component for email address)

comp.lang.perl.misc guidelines on the WWW:
http://augustmail.com/~tadmc/clpmisc/clpmisc_guidelines.html

 

[Scamjunk]

Are you claiming that 'useful' is supposed to be spelled differently?

Past tense of spelled is spelt!

-Scam.

 

[A. Sinan Unur]

Past tense of spelled is spelt!

Everyone's an English professor, I see:

From http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

See the usage examples in (3).

Main Entry: 1spell
Pronunciation: 'spel
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): spelled /'speld, 'spelt/; spell·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French espeller, of Germanic
origin; akin to Old English spell talk
transitive senses
1 : to read slowly and with difficulty -- often used with out
2 : to find out by study : come to understand -- often used with out <it
requires some pains to spell out those decorations -- F. J. Mather>
3 a (1) : to name the letters of in order; also : to write or print the
letters of in order (2) : to write or print the letters of in a
particular way <you can spell it either way> <I spelled it wrong> b : to
make up (a word) <what word do these letters spell> c : WRITE 1b <catnip
is spelled as one word>
4 : to add up to : MEAN <crop failure was likely to spell stark famine
-- Stringfellow Barr>
intransitive senses : to form words with letters <teach children to
spell>; also : to spell words in a certain way <spells the way he
speaks>.


--
A. Sinan Unur <[email protected]>
(remove .invalid and reverse each component for email address)

comp.lang.perl.misc guidelines on the WWW:
http://augustmail.com/~tadmc/clpmisc/clpmisc_guidelines.html

 

[jdrago_999]

No. Perl is useless. You would be wasting your time.

Hey, there's no class like "no class".

I missed this completely stale comment earlier. Nice jab.

What exactly does the "A" stand for in your first name? Can I guess?

 

[Tad McClellan]

I posted using Google

Your choice of tool is irrelevant with respect to composing
a followup following the conventions of over 20 years experience.

Please quote trimmed context and interleave your comments like
everyone else does.

Speaking of Google - ever search Google using the term: "Matt Garrish"
+troll?

You look silly when you get sucked in by trolls like this
(and I don't mean Matt).

I looked through the 1st half dozen or so.

"rm" is a rabid troll that forges posts from other people, Matt
happened to be one of his victims. The hateful stuff attributed
to Matt was really "rm" posing as Matt.

The next one was another well-established troll claiming that Matt
was a troll (she claims that everybody that replies to her is one).

The next few were either some other post on the same page that
contained the "troll" part, or Matt discussing an actual troll.

In summary, Google gets those results because Matt takes on trolls,
not because Matt is a troll.

You should exercise better due diligence before you make
such negative implications.

Stop adding searchable references to your history as a troll.

Stop claiming that the mere appearance of 2 terms on the same
web page means there is a correlation between the 2 terms.

Nobody cares if you know the difference between Perl and perl.

Until they say Perl when they mean perl or when they say perl
when they mean Perl.

 

[Tad McClellan]

What exactly does the "A" stand for in your first name? Can I guess?

Going ad hominem weakens your position (and your reputation).