Cross-Platform Perl, Second Edition [Paperback]

Eric Foster-Johnson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764547291 | ISBN-13: 978-0764547294 | Publication Date: August 15, 2000 | Edition: 2nd

Full of practical examples and updated for the latest version of Perl, version 5.6.0, this acclaimed introductory guide explains how to harness the power of Perl in heterogeneous UNIX-Windows-Linux environments, from automating applications and network functions to creating GUIs and interactive Web pages. The CD-ROM includes ActivePerl for Windows, the Perl source code, sample code and scrips, and useful Perl tools.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Perl is undoubtedly one of the more powerful programming languages available today, but it also can be one of the trickier ones to master. Cross-Platform Perl, 2nd Edition provides an extremely clear tutorial to ways of using Perl effectively, both on Windows and Unix versions. With plenty of simple examples and a cut-to-the-chase presentation style, this book can put the powers of Perl within the reach of almost anyone.

You can benefit from this book in at least two ways: first, via a remarkably understandable tutorial for basic Perl, from basic syntax and language features (plus a nice explanation of regular expressions, which can be daunting for beginners); second, there's a focus on powerful Perl modules (freely downloadable from CPAN and elsewhere), and simple code that shows how to use them for common tasks, like launching and controlling applications, system administration, and basic Web development. Better yet, Cross-Platform Perl shows how to do this under both Windows and Unix/Linux.

Later chapters explain the use of Perl on the Internet, with a tutorial for CGI and Web scripts, as well as excellent material on XML. Short, effective code examples are the rule, although several later chapters provide longer samples. The text closes with how to build client/server socket-based network programs, and a quick introduction to graphical user interfaces that are built with Perl/Tk. The exceptionally clear writing style makes the whole book even more accessible and a pleasure to read.

Whether you're a system administrator or an aspiring Perl developer, Cross-Platform Perl, 2nd Edition shows you some of the best ways to use Perl on both Windows and Unix. This is a smart and extremely approachable book that'll teach you how to use Perl effectively for a wide variety of common computing tasks. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Perl basics and language tutorial
• Scripts
• Variables
• Arrays
• Associative arrays
• Flow control
• File I/O with Perl
• Pattern matching and regular expressions
• Perl for formatted text database reports
• Overview of Perl modules and CPAN
• Launching and automating applications on Windows and Unix
• System administration on Windows and Unix
• CGI and Web development tutorial with Perl (including using HTML forms)
• Perl and XML
• Perl for software developers (automating software builds, version control, documentation)
• Building IP-based network servers and clients in Perl (including FTP support)
• Perl/Tk for building graphical user interfaces

From the Back Cover

Cross-Platform Perl, 2nd Edition Learn Perl the Easy Way — without Getting Bogged Down in Syntax If you're a system administrator, Web designer, or programmer who wants to write scripts for multiple platforms, you're holding the key to success in your hands. This newly expanded second edition of Eric Foster-Johnson's acclaimed book shows you how to use Perl to automate your daily tasks, create Web pages from CGI scripts, manage files, generate reports, and more — for Linux, UNIX, and Windows environments. If you want an easier, faster development solution for client-server and networking applications, this book gives you the cross-platform Perl tools you need to succeed. Working Solutions for Cross-Platform Perl Challenges

• Learn Perl from scads and scads of examples
• Automate and launch programs on Windows, Linux, and UNIX
• Allow users to access data over your company's intranet or the Internet
• Create user-friendly GUIs with Perl/Tk
• Build interactive Web forms and process Web queries
• Extract data from files using Perl's extensive text-handling capabilities
• Handle software configuration and building tasks with Perl

Bonus CD-ROM

• ActivePerl
• Perl 5.6.0
• Complete sample code from the book

System Requirements PC running Windows 95 or later, Windows NT 4 or later, Linux or UNIX. See the "What's on the CD-ROM" Appendix for further requirements and details. www.mandtbooks.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2nd edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764547291
• ISBN-13: 978-0764547294
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,711,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Cross-platform Development

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great intro, and still my reference, June 12, 2003

By 

Michael R Mayer (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cross-Platform Perl, Second Edition (Paperback)

(This refers to the 1st edition, hopefully the 2nd edition is even better)
Maybe it's that I started learning Perl with this book, but I continue to use it as a reference even when O'Reilly "Programming Perl" BIBLE is right next to it on my shelf. I haven't been able to answer why, but I think it's for the following reasons:

O'Reilly is great if you know the name of the function you want. I find Cross-Platform Perl to be better when you know _what_ you want to do, but can't remember the functions that do it. Titles of chapters are (or were) user-friendly like "Working with Files" or "Launching Applications". O'Reilly has chapters like "References", "Data Structures", "Objects" and my favorite "Functions" (which has 200+ pages of, you guessed it, Perl Functions).

Get this book if you're new to Perl - you won't outgrow it.