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Perl 6 Essentials

By Allison Randal, Dan Sugalski, Leopold Tötsch
First Edition June 2003
Pages: 208
ISBN 10: 0-596-00499-0 | ISBN 13: 9780596004996
(Average of 1 Customer Reviews)

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Book description

Perl 6 Essentials is the first book that offers a peek into the next major version of the Perl language. Written by members of the Perl 6 core development team, the book covers the development not only of Perl 6 syntax but also Parrot, the language-independent interpreter developed as part of the Perl 6 design strategy. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of Perl. It will satisfy their curiosity and show how changes in the language will make it more powerful and easier to use.
Full Description

Perl 6 Essentials is a sneak-preview of Perl 6, the widely-anticipated rewrite of the Perl programming language. Still in development, the Perl 6 project is a community-based effort to keep Perl vibrant well into the 21st century. This book covers the development not only of Perl 6 syntax but also Parrot, the language-independent interpreter developed as part of the Perl 6 design strategy. Although Perl remains a vibrant language with a fiercely loyal following, it has undergone many changes to keep up with new technologies and applications that were not anticipated when Perl was first introduced in 1987. Through its community-based development model, Perl has kept up with changing times and remained fresh when other languages might have stagnated. Internally, however, there have remained kinks and stumbling blocks that developers have needed to sidestep, long-abandoned features that have been maintained only for backwards compatibility, misdirected phrasings that have hindered more intuitive syntax structures, and a cacophony of modules that sometimes work well together, but occasionally don't. Perl continues to have a strong following devoted to its development, but in the meantime, a group of core Perl developers have begun working on Perl 6, a complete rewrite of the Perl language. While Perl's creative philosophy and common-sense syntax are sure to remain in Perl 6, everything else in the language is being re-examined and recreated. Perl 6 Essentials provides an overview of the current state of Perl 6 for those who await its release. Written by members of the Perl 6 core development team, the book offers an explanation of the various stages of the project, with reference material for programmers who are interested in what changes are planned or who may want to contribute to the project. The book will satisfy their curiosity and show how changes in the language will make it more powerful and easier to use. Perl 6 Essentials is the first book that offers a peek into the next major version of the Perl language. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of Perl.

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Book details

First Edition: June 2003
ISBN: 0-596-00499-0
Pages: 208
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 1 Reviews)

Featured customer reviews

Perl 6 Essentials Review, July 23 2003

Rating:

Submitted by George Woolley [Respond | View]

A very good book.

Perl 6 is not here yet.

Even the definition of the language is still in flux.

But many things are reasonably clear.

If you are big into Perl or for some other reason

wish to explore this developing technology,

this is the book for you.

It's an exciting, well conceived book.

You'll be exposed to the major aspects of Perl 6;

and you'll also learn what you need to know to go further,

to follow the on-going development,

and to get involved (if you wish).

For a deeper examination, see my

detailed review.

-- George Woolley, Oakland.pm

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Media reviews

"The book is at once an introduction to the Perl 6 culture, the Perl 6 language, and the Perl 6 internals. That it succeeds at all three levels in just under 200 pages is a testament to the skill of the authors...'Perl 6 Essentials' is a must-have roadmap to the future of Perl."
--Teodor Zlatanov, IBM.com, May 2004
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-cpbooks.html?ca=dgr-perlw02PerlBooks

"This summer, an unusual event occurred: A book was published by O'Reilly & Associates about a product that, according to its developers, is six to nine months away from entering beta testing. Only great community demand could inspire this decision. And, indeed O'Reilly's 'Perl 6 Essentials' has become a bible of sorts to a group of developers eagerly awaiting the new release of the Perl scripting language."
--Andrew Binstock, Software Development Times, September 2003

"If you've been wanting to know what to expect from Version 6, you won't find a better book on the subject. It's especially useful if you're considering getting involved in the development of Perl 6. Additionally, Python and Ruby programmers may find the chapters on Parrot (the programming-language-neutral interpreter) of interest."
--Russell J.T. Dyer, "The Perl Journal." July 2003

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