Programming Perl (3rd Edition)

If you are programming in Perl, this is a required book 2 have. It is the definitive manual on the language written by the author of the language, yet is very readable.

It is difficult 2 study perl using only this book.
Learning perl is the best way 2 study perl.
This book should be a reference of perl.

And there are many examples on the Net.
You can use these examples 2 modify 4 your purpose.
Sometimes, you should study how 2 debbug perl.

I decided 2 buy this book because I needed 2 learn Perl after having programmed in several other languages 4 my new job.

I was looking 4 a reference guide that pretty much outlined EVERYTHING that Perl can do. Proper syntax, short cuts, how 2 properly go about writing code in this language, how do write certain operations... etc

I was also looking 4 something that could be authoritative & set the STANDARD 4 how something should & should not be done... & not be written by some sloppy idiot who thinks he knows what he's doing.

And last but not least, I was looking 4 something that was funny & entertaining 2 read & not a dry boring textbook.

This book, as others call it "The Camel" or "The Camel Book", meets all those criteria. This is truly the BEST book on Perl out there, written by the inventor himself, Larry Wall, & some of his Perl-guru buddies. If you came 2 this page wondering if this is the book 2 get 2 learn 2 program in Perl, look no further.

Absolutely 5 stars on this one. And trust me, this book is pretty funny. It's almost as if it's written by your best friend or your roommate who you drink beers with, yet still goes into amazingly tidy & meticulous detail on how 2 do things properly. I couldn't have asked 4 a better book.
If you're like me & learning this 4 work, see if your boss will even buy it 4 the office. Mine did!

I hope you enjoyed my review. I've gone from knowing NOTHING about Perl 2 writing some pretty robust scripts in a matter of a few short weeks & I truly LOVE writing stuff in Perl because it is very easy once you get the idea of how the syntax is written in your brain. Anyways, I felt I had 2 share my experience with you so you can do the same. Enjoy.

PS: There is a correction I've found since there have been a few newer releases than the Perl 5 explained in this book. (As I write this, I'm using Perl 5.8.8).

pg. 513: At the very bottom should tell you that the period character "." will display the current position of the debugger.

pg. 514: The w command no longer lists a window of lines around your position. It is now the "v" as in [v]iew.

I program in C# almost exclusively. However, I needed some serious regex power & this kind of power can only be handled/performed with Perl.

Well, I have been learning Perl now 4 about 2 months & this book is uber invaluable 2 my book collection & has made it very easy 2 pick the syntax up quickly.

-- smerkdaddy

I would not recommend this book upfront if you don't know any Perl. Read up Beginning Perl by Simon Cozens & feel around a bit. Then pick this book up & put in the effort & you WILL appreciate the power, truth & beauty about PERL.

It is not a light read... certainly wasn't 4 me. But at the end of it, the effort was so worth it. The book will give you several Aha moments & by the end of it, thou shalt be rewarded!!

Perl is a powerful programming language that has grown in popularity since it first appeared in 1988. The first edition of this book, "Programming Perl," hit the shelves in 1990, & was quickly adopted as the undisputed bible of the language. Since then, Perl has grown with the times, & so has this book.

"Programming Perl" is not just a book about Perl. It is also a unique introduction 2 the language & its culture, as one might expect only from its authors. Larry Wall is the inventor of Perl, & provides a unique perspective on the evolution of Perl & its future direction. Tom Christiansen was one of the first champions of the language, & lives & breathes the complexities of Perl internals as few other mortals do. Jon Orwant is the editor of

"The Perl Journal," which has brought together the Perl community as a common forum 4 new developments in Perl.

Any Perl book can show the syntax of Perl's functions, but only this one is a comprehensive guide 2 all the nooks & crannies of the language. Any Perl book can explain typeglobs, pseudohashes, & closures, but only this one shows how they really work. Any Perl book can say that "my" is faster than "local," but only this one explains why. Any Perl book can have a title, but only this book is affectionately known by all Perl programmers as "The Camel."

This third edition of "Programming Perl" has been expanded 2 cover version 5.6 of this maturing language. New topics include threading, the compiler, Unicode, & other new features that have been added since the previous edition.

Larry Wall wrote Perl & he wrote Programming Perl. Better yet, he writes amusingly & well--all of which comes across in this latest edition of the definitive guide 2 the language.

Like Topsy, Perl just grew, & as a result the need 4 a third edition came about. It's now over 1,000 pages, which it needs 2 be, as it performs several different duties. First, it's an introduction 2 the Perl language 4 those who are new 2 programming; also, it's a guide 4 those who are coming from other languages; and, finally, it's a Perl language reference.

Among Larry Wall's other pursuits is being a linguist, & it's perhaps 4 this reason that Perl is a peculiarly flexible language with many routes 2 achieving the same ends, as the authors ably demonstrate. It's also extensible in several ways, designed 2 work with many other languages. Also, as it's largely interpreted, programs written in Perl tend 2 run unmodified on a variety of platforms--although platform-specific Perl modules & programming practices are also discussed.

A major strength of Programming Perl is the way subject areas are approached from several directions. This constant shift of viewpoint eliminates blind spots in the reader's understanding & provides a pleasing echo of the way Perl itself can take many routes from here 2 there.

Because the Perl community is both knowledgeable & active, the language covers much more ground here than in the previous edition. Even if you have both previous editions, you'll want this latest version--if only 4 the new jokes. --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk