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By Larry Wall, Tom Christiansen, Jon Orwant
July 2000
Pages: 1104
ISBN 10: 0-596-00027-8 |
ISBN 13: 9780596000271
(Average of 15 Customer Reviews)
Programming Perl is not just a book about Perl; it is also a unique introduction to the language and its culture, as one might expect only from its authors. This third edition has been expanded to cover Version 5.6 of Perl. New topics include threading, the compiler, Unicode, and other features that have been added or improved since the previous edition.
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Book details
Third Edition: July 2000
ISBN: 0-596-00027-8
Pages: 1104
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 15 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, January 02 2004
Very Nice. A definite must have if you program in Perl. This book complements learning Perl so nicely.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, October 24 2003
Like a lot of the other comments, I believe this is an excellent book... The humor is great and makes a dry subject so much easier to digest... While I agree it is not a book for beginners, I think it should be required reading for Computer Science students as it describes common programming concepts in terms of common English concepts, humorously at that...
I have only 2 complaints... 1. The index really needs work! 2. I wish the standard module reference noted which versions they apply to... This is my first attempt at writing Perl code and I need to write for cross-platform systems that may be at many different Perl 5.x version levels... It's frustraing to find a real cool and useful module only to find it doesn't work on the version of Perl we have installed. It's hard enough testing on multiple platforms, let alone multiple versions.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, July 16 2003
This is not "Learning Perl in 28 Lessons" - there are better books to learn the syntax and to write reasonable programmes in short time. Obviously, the authors' focus is not on didactics. Anyway, this is the definitive reference, as well to the technical as to the cultural aspects of Perl. And it's fun to read it (if you define "fun" properly).
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, January 14 2003
This programming book was by far the best I've read from any company. This is the first book I got from Oreilly, and the first book I got on PERL - and I was amazingly surprised that a "text book" could be written so well. The book is very well designed, with just enough off-topicness to keep the book interesting while reading it. In many ways this book seems more like a story book than the old mundane books I read in the past from other companies. I highly respect this book , and hope that I can find other books from this same company for other subjects.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, May 05 2002
This book is great! It is like no other language book I have read. I could actually read this book miles away from a computer and still feel confident in perl. This book is NOT for the beginner and having at least basic UNIX experience is required(you have no excuse, linux is FREE or sorry GNU/Linux). The one point that does bite is that the book is not rigidly structured but it does not race too far forward that you are left with an example that is not understandable. I would recommend this book to those who want to learn Perl fast and at a slow pace(I've heard Learning Perl is good). The authors(which include Perl creator Larry Wall) have produced a solid Perl book. Good book,go buy!
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, March 26 2002
It is a good book for basic knowledge and for people with less programming background. This is the only book I have used so far so I can not make a better judgement but there were lot of places where it makes reference to c++ programming and unix commands and talk about it a lot. for someone who is not a computer geek or does not know another programming language its better to find a book which includes every single basic concept(ofcourse if you have time)Capters 1-10 and 15 were really well explained. but other chapters had more text but they were hard to understand.
My overall experience was good. I guess I just need to read it one more time as it says in preface to find out some humor and detailed concepts
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, January 17 2002
This book is very well written and has a lovely style to it unusual in computing books. It makes easy work of difficult concepts.
However, I would like to point out that the index is not very good at all. In fact, in some cases it is completely wrong, especially towards the end of the book. This means that using it as reference material can lead to much aggravation.
Rebecca
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, January 12 2002
Do I even need to say anything here?? It seems like everyone already knows...
An excellent mix of humor and information. This book reads with the audacity of a fiction novel and the intelligence of a technical manual. As in-depth and entertaining as any book you'll ever pick up. Larry Wall is my hero!!
Although I don't recommend this book for beginners to programming, I do recommend it for those of you out there who know and love to program, and just want to add perl to your bag of magic tricks. In-depth, easy to understand, and damn near impossible to put down!! My bookshelf would never be the same without it.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, July 17 2001
I have a few feet of bookshelf space devoted to Perl. This is the book I use most frequently.
As a beginning tutorial, it is long and detailed. For intermediate and advanced tutorial use, the 3rd edition is much improved over the 2nd edition. It shines as a language reference. I am picky about indexes. The index is good but it could be better.
If you are only going to buy one book for tutorial and reference, buy this one. If you are going to buy more than one Perl book, buy this book for reference. If you bought the 2nd edition and like it, buy the 3rd edition, you will not be disappointed.
So with such a strong recommendation, why did I not give this book the highest rating? There is a technical issue in Perl, described below, that needs to be documented.
Perl uses a process model to do work in parallel. UNIX natively works this way but Windows works differently. On Windows, processes are simulated with threads. Perl threads are still experimental although that should be fixed in the not too distant future. When you do a fork under UNIX it works but under Windows it appears to work then you get a visit from Dr. Watson sometime later. The cause is that most of the Perl library is not thread safe.
My criticism of this book is that any application that uses processes portably, uses threads or uses the fork function under Windows needs to know which Perl library functions are thread safe and which are not. If that critical information was included in this book, I would have given it the top rating.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, July 05 2001
This book is really very nice.i have an great experience of new language.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, March 14 2001
There is no doubt about the authors' knowledge and experience with Perl. The book provides many exciting hints and insight to the script. However, I will not recommend it to any beginners to Perl.
Besides, some examples does not produce results described by the author.
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, January 07 2001
Highly definitive and in-depth explanation of Perl!!!
CAREFULLY PLANNED REPLACEMENT OF PERL MANULS
Main disadvange: You won't find any practice problems or self-assessment test, which I think is a major turn-off for beginners like me, but considering the extensive and higly informative material, I had to keep up with the book by referring other books for practice problems!!!
You read 100 books on Horse Riding and go for your first ride.....
Practice makes man perfect!!!! How many time do you hear that!
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, September 01 2000
I just got started learning Perl with this book, and it has to be the easiest (and instantly most useful) computer book that I have ever read. The first few chapters are quick and simple, and the rest of the chapters seem to go into great detail. I reccomend this book to anyone.
GO CAMEL!
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, August 14 2000
They have done it again! The camel book has never left my side, and the 3rd edition is out just in time to replace my dog-eared 2nd edition.
Programming Perl, provides excellent coverage of threading, unicode, and Perl v5.6. Not only are there better examples, and better explanations, but a handy marked reference on the side of the book for perl functions, pragmata, modules, and a glossary.
I think it goes without saying, but get this book for your library!
Programming Perl, 3rd Edition Review, July 31 2000
I think the 3rd edition is a marked improvement over the 2nd edition. The feel of the book is much more like the older "pink" versions of The Camel Book... and I like it a lot better. There are subtle differences in the presentation and type face that give the book the more concise feel of the earlier edition. I really like the revised layout, and the slight decrease in the amount of whitespace on the pages. It really enhances the readability.
The content is superb... I think the re-write enhances the material dramatically. Definately worth the price... although as Perl gets more popular the books get more expensive. :)
Thanks to the authors and editors for a good product! (although, I'll probably still refer to my "pink" copy from time to time. )
Media reviews
"Having the father of Perl as one of the authors surely makes this an authoritative source for Perl knowledge. But it also means it includes insight and perspective unique to this publication. Together the three authors of 'Programming Perl' bring a world of experience and information into the vast language of Perl right into your hands...This book will always be a valuable resource when working on any Perl program."
--Williamsburg Macromedia User Group, March 30, 2003
"Do yourself a favor, order this book."
--Perl/Unix User Group of NY
"Getting by without 'Programming Perl' and still writing complex and working Perl applications seems hard to me. The book contains a glossary as well. Perl programmers shouldn't be without this guide."
--http://it-enquirer.com, May 2002
"What can I say? This book is my bible. One of the best computer books I have ever read. And one of the best I will likely ever read. (Until the fourth edition appears that is!) Put simply; this book made me a better Perl coder, and is always by my side, waiting to be referred to for the umteenth time."
--Laurance, linuxdot.org, Oct 2001
Best of 2001: Computing & Internet--fatbrain.com
Best of 2001: Programming Editors' Picks, amazon.com
"Larry Wall wrote Perl and he wrote 'Programming Perl.' Better yet, he writes amusingly and well--all of which comes across in this latest edition of the definitive guide to the language."
--Rich Dragan and Brooke Gilbert, amazon programming editors, Dec 2001
"A few (books) I actually wouldn't mind taking out to the pool. Yes, there are good techie books you can read through dark glasses miles away from any CRT. In fact, I've read a little from Programming Perl every night before bedtime. There's a lot to learn about computing when you're away from a computer."
--Dan Gookin, Amazon Delivers Home and Office Computing, June 14, 2001
"The world's best Perl book now in its second edition. This book built compbookreview.com "
--Randy M. Zeitman, www.CompBookReview.com, Jan 2001
"This book is remarkable in a number of important ways. The authors are ultimately qualified to write about Perl...the authors are intimately acquaintedwith computer programming...the book is well-written, easily understandable and enjoyable. "
--Nelson Bigelow, Kennebec Valley Computer Society Newsletter, April 2001
"Longtime Perl fans know Programming Perl as the Camel, because of the cover animal. With the first edition in 1991, Perl programmers gained not only a charmingly appropriate mascot, but the ultimate language reference. True to form, this Camel's grown with the language. In the four years since the last release, it's increased in size by 67%. Everything you liked about previous editions has returned, in one form or another. The wealth of new information is staggering, but as you'd expect from the luminous authors, even the core language reference is highly readable and entertaining. Part of being a good programmer is knowing where to turn for accurate and useful information. This is the place for all things Perl. If you use Perl regularly, put the new Camel on your shelf."
--Chromatic, slashdot.org, Dec 5, 2000
"This is a great book, and the third camel is the best camel yet. It is written in a style and humor that is all its own...between the {the authors} they know more about Perl than any mere mortal could possibly be expected to remember, which helps explain why this book is the essential Perl reference. You will not fid a more authoritative treatment of the language in any other book."
--Paul Barry, Linux Journal, Dec 2000
"the most authoritative book on Perl, and the authors' prose is a joy to read."
--Eugene Eric Kim, Web Techniques, January 2001
"Larry Wall wrote Perl and he wrote Programming Perl. Better yet, he writes amusingly and well--all of which comes across in this latest edition of the definitive guide to the language. Like Topsy, Perl just grew, and as a result the need for a third edition came about. It's now over 1,000 pages, which it needs to be, as it performs several different duties. First, it's an introduction to the Perl language for those who are new to programming; also, it's a guide for those who are coming from other languages; and, finally, it's a Perl language reference Even if you have both previous editions, you'll want this latest version--if only for the new jokes."
--Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk, Dec 2000
"...the Perl programmers bible. It is at once an introduction for those who are new to programming, a crash course for concerts form other languages, a tour guide of Perl culture and a definitive reference to the language. What makes this book such a delight however, is not just what is said, but how it is said. Larry W all is a superb writer, and his irreverent wit and word-play make light reading of otherwise dense subject matter. I found myself chuckling more often than when reading a Terry Pratchett novel. What's more, Wall, as the principal architect of the Perl language, fills the book with insights as to why Perl is designed the way it is, which makes understanding that much easier."
--Linux Format, Oct 2000
"You can obtain reference books on Perl from a variety of publishers, but the mother lode can be found at O'Reilly and Associates, which has done its best to make itself the core of Perl documentation. The closest thing to a "Perl Manual" is Larry Wall's "Programming Perl, third edition."
--John Joyce, Scientific Computing and Instrumentation, Sept 2000
"part tutorial, part reference, and part philosophy. Yep, a programming book that might actually impact how you view your life and the world around you......the lighthearted tone and informal style has remained the same and is just as effective."
--Netsurfer Digest Sept 30, 2000
"The third edition of Programming Perl is impressive from the start...Lucid exposition interspersed with good examples and many jokes that will strike a chord with programmers are prevalent in the text. All in all, the third edition of this very popular book is a major event in Perl's history. The release of version 5.6.0 brought many software improvements to the Perl community, but it also made the second edition significantly outdated. This gap is remedied by the third edition. Still, this book is no mere upgrade. Several sections are completely new, and others are more than twice their original size in the second edition. New modules, pragmas, functions, and capabilities are shown in action with great examples. Perl programmers should consider purchasing the third edition of Programming Perl for all these reasons, but most of all because this is now the definite and best reference for the Perl language."
--Teodor Zlatanov, IBM DeveloperWorks, Sept. 2000
"This will be the easiest purchasing decision that librarians will make all year.. .this book is the bible for Perl programmers. Aside from the authors outstanding credentials, this is the most comprehensive and well-written Perl book out there. Essential for all libraries."
--Chris Ziener, Library Journal, Oct 1, 2000
"Ilayos're planning on using Perl extensively, then you'll most likely need this book, as you won't find many serious Perl programmers without it. Programming Perl is probably the best source as a programmer's reference. Nowhere else will you find such an in-depth guide on Perl. If you want to be a real Perl coder, you'll definitely need this book."
--Eric Sun, dotcomma.org, Sept 2000
"But, the bottom line is: is this a book worth buying? Absolutely. If you're new to Perl, or fairly new to programming, you could do a lot worse than to start with this book. The first chapter does a great job of introducing basic computing ideas, and giving concrete examples of how they apply in Perl. If you've been using Perl for a while, and you have one of the earlier editions, you already know how useful these tomes are; the new sections alone in this edition are worth the $49.95 cover price. If you've been using Perl for a while, and you don't have an earlier copy of this book, it's about time you heard from the man who actually wrote the language."
--Edward Piou, www.ahref.com, October 2000
