Sebastopol, CA--O'Reilly's "Learning Perl," affectionately referred to as the "Llama book," is the classic introduction to programming in Perl. Its pages have instructed many a novice in the use of Perl for short and medium programs--which, traditionally, is much of the programming done in Perl. Yet, once having mastered the material in "Learning Perl," there have been a few bold programmers who have proceeded to ask, "Where do we go from here?" Perhaps they want to write programs longer than one hundred lines. Or perhaps they're interested in working with larger and more complex data structures. Sadly, there hasn't been a clear answer to their question, until now. Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules, (O'Reilly US $34.95) by Randal Schwartz with Tom Phoenix--the authors of "Learning Perl"--picks up where the first book leaves off.
"If you liked 'Learning Perl,' and wanted more, this book is for you," says Schwartz. "It'll show you how to write bigger, better, and more robust programs with ease and confidence."
"Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules" offers a gentle introduction to the world of references, object-oriented programming, and the use of Perl modules that form the backbone of any effective Perl program. Following the successful format of its predecessor, each chapter in the book is designed to be small enough to be read in just an hour or two. Each chapter ends with a series of exercises to help readers practice what they've learned with answers in an appendix for easy reference.
"Our 'Learning Perl' book was good because it introduced the use of Perl for smaller programs," explains Schwartz. "But to avoid having the 'Llama book' be as big and intimidating as the 'Camel book' (O'Reilly's 'Programming Perl'), we left out a lot of information, deliberately and carefully. In 'Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules' you get the rest of the story in the same style as our friendly 'Llama book.'"
Assuming a basic understanding of Perl, this book explains how to effectively use both standard and object-oriented Perl modules, how to use namespaces and packages properly, and how to use references to build powerful data structures. In short, it covers everything that separates the Perl dabbler from the Perl programmer. The topics include:
Packages and namespaces
References and scoping
Manipulating complex data structures
Object-oriented programming
Writing and using modules
Contributing to CPAN
Perl is a different language to different people. It is a quick, scripting tool for some and a fully featured object-oriented language for others. It is used for everything from performing quick global replacements on text files to crunching huge, complex sets of scientific data that take weeks to process. Perl is what you make of it, but regardless of what you use Perl for, "Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules" will help you do it more effectively, efficiently, and elegantly.
Praise for "Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules":
"What a spectacular Perl book it is...O'Reilly, Schwartz, and Phoenix have put together a wonderful book. It's very personable and easy to follow. More importantly, it has the feel of a master instructing the apprentice."
--Russell J.T. Dyer, UnixReview.com, June 2003
"Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules" is also available on the O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf
More information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, author bios, and samples
Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules
Randal L. Schwartz with Tom Phoenix
ISBN 0-596-00478-8, 205 pages, $34.95 US, $54.95 CA, 24.95 UK
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