Perl 5 Programmer's Interactive Workbook (Interactive Workbook (Prentice Hall)) [Paperback]

Vincent Lowe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 013020868X | ISBN-13: 978-0130208682 | Publication Date: July 1, 1999 | Edition: 1st

If you're going to learn PERL, learn it right: with a focus on building rock-solid, readable code that can endure and evolve as your needs change. That's how this book teaches PERL: with a focus on quality, plenty of real-world sample code -- and no frills. PERL Interactive Workbook doesn't try to teach you everything: only the key skills you need to be effective. "Learn by doing," as you master PERL variables, branching, testing, loops, system control, files, output, functions, and much more. The code samples in this book have real purpose: there are no phony variables named "foo," and no fake programs named "loopdemo.pl"! The content and lab exercises are drawn from actual experience -- and they're supplemented by bonus code and exercises on Prentice Hall PTR's Companion Interactive Workbook Web site. From start to finish, this book will teach you how to build solid PERL programs, not just "quick and dirty" code that collapses at the slightest breeze!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

IntroductionAn Open Letter to Future Perl Programmers

I want to tell you about some of the things I've learned during the time that I've been teaching and working with Perl. That's why this book is here.

First of all, someone once told me, "If you want to learn a programming language, you have to do two things. You need to read a lot of code and you need to write a lot of code." We've tried to make that process inevitable with this book. You will not get to the other end of this book successfully until you've read and written a number of programs.

It follows that you can't learn Perl by simply reading a book. You can look at the information, understand it, but you can't KNOW it until you try it with your own hands. (If you want to grok it, you have to DO it.) It doesn't matter if the book title says "Instant" or "Made Easy"; you will not learn the language from a book, you learn it through an effort of your mind.

If you'll lend me your mind for a little while, I'll try to drive your effort along a path that exposes you to the power of the Perl programming language. Your part of the bargain is to complete the exercises and answer the questions along the way, even if the topic doesn't seem related to the burning problem you want to solve. If you pay attention to the scenery on the way, you'll end up a more capable programmer.To Get Started

So what do you need to get started with this book? You will need a system with Perl installed. If you need help with this step, you might find information relevant to your platform in Appendix B. Otherwise, you'll want to check the book's companion website, which you can find at phptr/phptrinteractive/.

The next thing you'll need is a command processor (or a shell). UNIX programmers can use any of the traditional shells. Win32 programmers can use your native OS command processor (COMMAND.COM or CMD.EXE) or an aftermarket shell (such as 4DOS, Korn shell, or Bash). For the type of work we'll be doing here, there's very little point-and-click. If you don't find enough information in Chapter 1, "Getting Started," look for additional help with setup and choosing a shell at the companion website.

Another thing you will need is the Perl documentation. You can get it from the same place you got Perl itself. This documentation will make your work with this book much easier. Everything you need to know to solve the exercises is in this book, but you may find that you can come up with more creative or bulletproof solutions if you learn to search the documentation. Before you tear into the exercises, make sure that you have the documentation properly installed in a convenient fashion.At First, A Brisk Tour

In the first two chapters, we take you rapidly through a number of techniques that you will use in your subsequent Perl programs. Don't worry too much if you can't understand why we do things a certain way in the first couple of chapters. Everything you see there will be explored in detail later in the book. But when you get to Chapter 3, "Scalar Variables," you'll already know enough Perl to do some interesting exercises.

Every book has at least one formal structure. That is the beginning-to-end or sequential structure. Sometimes a book will have another structure. It will be available through an index that describes the book in an associative fashion. A dictionary or encyclopedia is like this. The book you hold in your hand will also have this structure. But there is another. A "narrative structure" is also present.

Through the narrative that associates your study with each of four fictional characters, you will watch (and help build) each of four different projects in Perl. Later on in this introduction, I'll tell you more about the characters themselves and their final objectives.Confidentially, you should know...

One more word to the wise: If you currently plan to run your Perl programs in a UNIX environment, don't just let your eyes glaze over when we talk about what it takes to get the programs to run on a Win32 box. If you plan to become an accomplished Perl programmer, there is a good chance that you'll have to face this sooner or later. Those of you who are currently using a Microsoft operating system and imagine that you always will, don't ignore the parts of this journey that apply to UNIX systems. By knowing how it works in the UNIX world, you'll open a new vista for yourself, maybe even discover a new way of thinking about how your programs should be designed. Telling the Whole Truth

Sometimes, there is a distinction drawn between concepts such as function, operator, command, expression, keyword, and modifier. Each of these terms has a formal meaning in Perl, but you needn't worry about that while you're learning the language. If it looks like a function, smells like a function, and tastes like a function, you can call it that, even if some erudite Usenet snob tells you that it's really an operator. He may be right, but so are you.

So we will avoid worrying too much about the "inner secrets" until we need to know them. If it looks and smells like a two-dimensional array (or a function), then I'll let you call it that and I'll expect the same forgiveness from you.The People you'll meet

As you pursue your studies here, you'll run into some interesting characters.

Uncle Larry: Everybody called him Uncle Larry and almost no one could remember his full name. (One of his friends once said, "His real name? Why, I call him Uncle Larry and he responds. I speak of him by that name to others and they know who I mean. I guess that would make it his real name.") He claimed to be nothing more than a simple storyteller, but most of the people who knew him thought Larry was a prophet. He told stories, yes. But he also served as a mentor for most of the people he knew. He lent a hand when people had questions, and he always had a ready answer when someone found themselves at a dead end with a programming problem. (Larry develops a Storyteller's program that demonstrates pattern substitution and file I/O techniques.)

Major Ellie: Victim of an inexplicable temporal accident, Major Ellie found herself cast into the pre-spacefaring society of 21st century earth. (Yes, this is a pre-spacefaring society that we live in today.) Ellie knew that Arthur Clarke's prediction would one day be accurate. (Clarke said, "If mankind persists as long as even the shortest lived species of dinosaur, the word ship will, for all but a brief time at the dawn of history, mean a vessel that carries people between the stars.") Ellie thrust herself into the work of helping to drag mankind into space, and later to the stars. (Ellie works on a Solar System model that explores Perl data structures.)

Coach Randal: Randal knew something that many sports fans, and everyone who hates sports, didn't know. If you watched for a while, you'd usually see someone exceed their potential and do something extraordinary. That was what made it worthwhile. Never mind the money, the publicity, the personalities, and the egos. Sport was about the players, small or large, who found a way to dig deep into their souls and find their absolute best. This is what caused them to take less money, work the long days, live with the pressure and, sometimes, the heartbreak. Those golden moments of heroism made everything worthwhile. (Randal works on a couple of tools that explore the use of stacks and queues in Perl.)

Barber Tom: Nobody feels the pulse of the community more surely than a good barber. Sooner or later, everyone had to come and see him. When they felt comfortable with him, people told Tom their secrets and concerns. He knew this and believed that it obligated him to share the benefit of his insight whenever it was required. This he did cheerfully, even on those rare occasions when he was the only person who realized that his insight was a benefit. (Tom works on an interactive program that maintains a list of "To Do" items.)Conventions Used In This Book

The following typographical conventions are followed in this book:

perl -v

A command you should enter into the computer

$ echo $LOGNAME johnmc

An example of interaction with the computer. Notice that the parts you would type are bold, the output from the computer is in the plain style.

ls(1)

The names of UNIX utility programs will look like this. The parenthesized number is a manual page section reference. If you read the man page on your system for the utility, you'll see that it's in the section referred to by this number. Some versions of UNIX use a different method of referring to the various sections. This is the traditional approach.

Our primary interest here is that the name is that of a UNIX utility and that there is a man page for the utility.

chop()

for(), foreach(), or while()

The name of a Perl function.

In this book, we present the names of loop constructs with trailing parentheses. This is simply a visual reminder that the reference is to a construct that does expect a parenthesized clause.

line 37

Line number references are italicized to help make it easier to follow the discussions that follow a code example.

Set Your Coun

From the Back Cover

Master PERL programming now!

Totally integrated with a FREE, state-of-the-art PERL learning Web site!

Learn PERL the right way-by doing PERL! PERL Interactive Workbook is 100% focused on teaching the key skills you need to build rock-solid scripts and programs! No frills, no "phony" examples... just plenty of real-world code and hands-on exercises drawn from actual experience. Master PERL variables, branching, testing, loops, system control, files, output, functions-everything you need to get results, fast!

Every Prentice Hall PTR Interactive Workbook is fully integrated with its own exclusive Web site, giving you all this and more:

* "Test Your Thinking" project solutions and detailed explanations
* Author's Corner: Your personal connection to this book's expert author
* Practice questions with instant feedback and explanations
* An exclusive message board where you can interact with other students!
* Practical techniques for building rock-solid code
* Learn through hands-on labs, exercises and projects

Just the facts! No endless, boring discussions here! You'll learn hands-on, through practical exercises, self-review questions, and real-world answers. Exclusive "Test Your Thinking" projects guarantee you'll go beyond rote knowledge to really master the subject! It's an integrated learning system that's proven to work!

* Dozens of exercises cover the real-world tasks that matter most!
* Hundreds of self-review questions and answers make sure you understand!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 1st edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013020868X
• ISBN-13: 978-0130208682
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,091,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good book - terrible web site, December 30, 1999

By 

G. Surla (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perl 5 Programmer's Interactive Workbook (Interactive Workbook (Prentice Hall)) (Paperback)

First let me say that this is a really good book for beginners. I have learned quite a lot during the course of reading this book and have gone from completely clueless to relatively knowledgeable on the subject matter. Mr. Lowe (unlike other authors) has the ability to stay on the level of the target audience rather than throwing in new and confusing concepts without preparing his readers. I applaud his work and will continue to look for more titles bearing his name.

However, on the cover the publishers tout an interactive web site to help you with the learning process. I have used other interactive course books with much success but the Prentice-Hall "Interactive Perl Training" web site is a farce because there isn't much information there that was noted in the book. Although you'll find what you need throughout the Internet by doing some searching, the publishers should probably have this information on their site for you since they appear to be so proud of their "web-charged learning system".

Aside from this complaint, I am very happy to have gotten this book but will have to think twice before getting anything from Prentice-Hall again. My guess is that marketing got a hold of this book thinking that it needed an edge when it didn't need anything but the truth on the cover or better web designers.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly organized, poorly explained, many errors, March 12, 2001

By 

E. Springfield (Kalamazoo, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perl 5 Programmer's Interactive Workbook (Interactive Workbook (Prentice Hall)) (Paperback)

I used this book as the text for a Perl class. While it seems, at first glance, to be set up well to learn Perl (exercises, sample files, etc.), it is actually a very poorly-written text. Lowe routinely alludes to concepts and says "More about that later," making it extremely difficult to learn about single concepts in their entirety. He will also use code to which he has referred briefly or not at all. The index is no help whatsoever; invariably, if you can even find the term you look up, the pages listed in the index only have passing references to the term.

For my money, Sams _Teach Yourself Perl in 24 Hours_ is a far superior book.

4.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to develop solid PERL fundamentals using a Hands-on approach., January 7, 2007

By 

R. Leary (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perl 5 Programmer's Interactive Workbook (Interactive Workbook (Prentice Hall)) (Paperback)

This book has many virtues. It is very clear an assumes no prior knowledge, for one. Also, Lowe makes his text useful to both Windows and *nix idioms. For most every function and piece of syntax that Lowe introduces, he provides a useful exercise for the reader, to help solidify his/her understanding (thus the 'workbook' in the title). The 'answers' that he provides come with good explanations and are quite clear.

Since I bought this book used, it was not "Web Charged." In fact the page does not exist at all. I did not find this to be very disadvantageous, though, as the exercises in the text were adequate.

Keep in mind that this is not a reference book. As I was working through it, which at 600 pages or so took a few months, I would often need to go back and review something that I had learned. And while Lowe's explanations are very clear , they are not exhaustive, and "The Camel" (Perl Programming, 3rd ed, by Larry Wall et al) makes an excellent reference companion to anyone serious about learning perl.

If you want to dish out the extra cash, and need whimsical stories about Gilligan and Mary-Anne, then you should probably get the OReilly "Learning Perl" book instead of this one. But Lowe's Interactive Workbook is no joke, and if you do the exercises and invest in it it won't let you down. And you can't beat the price.