book

Intermediate Perl, 2nd Edition

by Randal L. Schwartz, brian d foy, Tom Phoenix

July 2012

Intermediate to advanced

396 pages

9h 16m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Read now

Unlock full access

Structure of This BookConventions Used in This BookUsing Code ExamplesSafari® Books OnlineHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
What Should You Know Already?strict and warningsPerl v5.14A Note on VersionsWhat About All Those Footnotes?What’s With the Exercises?How to Get HelpWhat If I’m a Perl Course Instructor?Exercises
The Standard DistributionExploring CPANUsing ModulesFunctional InterfacesSelecting What to ImportObject-Oriented InterfacesA More Typical Object-Oriented Module: Math::BigIntFancier Output with ModulesWhat’s in Core?The Comprehensive Perl Archive NetworkInstalling Modules from CPANCPANminusInstalling Modules ManuallySetting the Path at the Right TimeSetting the Path Outside the ProgramExtending @INC with PERL5LIBExtending @INC on the Command Linelocal::libExercises
List OperatorsList Filtering with grepTransforming Lists with mapTrapping Errors with evalDynamic Code with evalThe do BlockExercises
Doing the Same Task on Many ArraysPeGS: Perl Graphical StructuresTaking a Reference to an ArrayDereferencing the Array ReferenceGetting Our Braces OffModifying the ArrayNested Data StructuresSimplifying Nested Element References with ArrowsReferences to HashesChecking Reference TypesExercises
More than One Reference to DataWhat If That Was the Name?Reference Counting and Nested Data StructuresWhen Reference Counting Goes BadCreating an Anonymous Array DirectlyCreating an Anonymous HashAutovivificationAutovivification and HashesExercises
Using the Debugger to View Complex DataViewing Complex Data with Data::DumperOther DumpersMarshalling DataStoring Complex Data with StorableYAMLJSONUsing the map and grep OperatorsApplying a Bit of IndirectionSelecting and Altering Complex DataExercises
Referencing a Named SubroutineAnonymous SubroutinesCallbacksClosuresReturning a Subroutine from a SubroutineClosure Variables as InputsClosure Variables as Static Local Variablesstate VariablesFinding Out Who We AreEnchanting SubroutinesDumping ClosuresExercise

The Old WayThe Improved WayFilehandles to StringsProcessing Strings Line by LineCollections of FilehandlesIO::Handle and FriendsIO::FileIO::ScalarIO::TeeIO::PipeIO::Null and IO::InteractiveDirectory HandlesDirectory Handle ReferencesExercises
Before Regular Expression ReferencesPrecompiled PatternsRegular Expression OptionsApplying Regex ReferencesRegexes as ScalarsBuild Up Regular ExpressionsRegex-Creating ModulesUsing Common PatternsAssembling Regular ExpressionsExercises
Fancier SortingSorting with IndicesSorting EfficientlyThe Schwartzian TransformMultilevel Sort with the Schwartzian TransformRecursively Defined DataBuilding Recursively Defined DataDisplaying Recursively Defined DataAvoiding RecursionThe Breadth-First SolutionExercises
The Cure for the Common CodeInserting Code with evalUsing doUsing requireThe Problem of Namespace CollisionsPackages as Namespace SeparatorsScope of a Package DirectivePackages and LexicalsPackage BlocksExercises
Perl’s Two Build SystemsInside Makefile.PLInside Build.PLOur First Distributionh2xsModule::StarterCustom TemplatesInside Your Perl DistributionThe META FileAdding Additional ModulesInside a ModulePlain Ol’ DocumentationPod Command ParagraphsPod ParagraphsPod Formatting CodesChecking the Pod FormatThe Module CodeModule Building SummaryCreating a Module::Build DistributionCreating a ExtUtils::Makemaker DistributionExercises
If We Could Talk to the Animals. . .Introducing the Method Invocation ArrowThe Extra Parameter of Method InvocationCalling a Second Method to Simplify ThingsA Few Notes About @ISAOverriding the MethodsStarting the Search from a Different PlaceThe SUPER Way of Doing ThingsWhat to Do with @_Where We AreOur Barnyard SummaryExercises
Why Should We Test?The Perl Testing ProcessTest Anywhere ProtocolThe Art of TestingA Test ExampleThe Test HarnessThe Standard TestsChecking that Modules CompileThe Boilerplate TestsThe Pod TestsAdding Our First TestsMeasuring Our Test CoverageSubroutine CoverageStatement CoverageBranch CoverageConditional CoverageExercises
A Horse Is a Horse, of Course of Course—Or Is It?Invoking an Instance MethodAccessing the Instance DataHow to Build a HorseInheriting the ConstructorMaking a Method Work with Either Classes or InstancesAdding Parameters to a MethodMore Interesting InstancesA Horse of a Different ColorGetting Our Deposit BackDon’t Look Inside the BoxFaster Getters and SettersGetters that Double as SettersRestricting a Method to Class Only or Instance OnlyExercise
UNIVERSAL MethodsTesting Our Objects for Good BehaviorThe Last ResortUsing AUTOLOAD for AccessorsCreating Getters and Setters More EasilyMultiple InheritanceExercises
What use Is DoingImporting with Exporter@EXPORT and @EXPORT_OKGrouping with %EXPORT_TAGSCustom Import RoutinesExercises
Cleaning Up After OurselvesNested Object DestructionBeating a Dead HorseIndirect Object NotationAdditional Instance Variables in SubclassesUsing Class VariablesWeakening the ArgumentExercise
Making Animals with MooseRoles Instead of InheritanceDefault ValuesConstraining ValuesWrapping MethodsRead-Only AttributesImproving the Race HorseFurther StudyExercises
Skipping TestsTesting Object-Oriented FeaturesGrouping TestsTesting Large StringsTesting FilesTesting STDOUT or STDERRUsing Mock ObjectsWriting Our Own Test::* ModulesExercises
The Comprehensive Perl Archive NetworkGetting PreparedHow PAUSE WorksThe IndexerModule MaintainersBefore We Start WorkPreparing the DistributionCreate or Update the READMECheck the Build FileUpdate the ManifestIncrease the Version StringTest the DistributionUploading the DistributionTesting on Multiple PlatformsAnnouncing the ModuleExercises
Answers for Chapter 1Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 2Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 3Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 4Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 5Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 6Exercise 1Exercise 2Answer for Chapter 7Exercise 1Answers for Chapter 8Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 9Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 10Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Answers for Chapter 11Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 12Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 13Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 14Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Answer for Chapter 15Exercise 1Answers for Chapter 16Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 17Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Answers for Chapter 18Exercise 1Answers for Chapter 19Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 20Exercise 1Exercise 2Answers for Chapter 21Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Exercise 6Exercise 7

Overview

This book picks up right where Learning Perl leaves off. With Intermediate Perl, you’ll graduate from short scripts to much larger programs, using features that make Perl a general-purpose language. This gentle but thorough guide introduces you to modules, complex data structures, and object-oriented programming.

Each chapter is small enough to be read in just an hour or two, ending with exercises to help you practice what you’ve learned. If you’re familiar with the material in Learning Perl and have the ambition to go further, Intermediate Perl will teach you most of the core Perl language concepts you need for writing robust programs on any platform.

Topics include:

Packages and namespaces
References and scoping, including regular expression references
Manipulating complex data structures
Object-oriented programming
Writing and using modules
Testing Perl code
Contributing to CPAN

Just like Learning Perl, material in this book closely follows the popular introductory Perl course the authors have taught since 1991. This second edition covers recent changes to the language up to version 5.14.