Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Starter Kit, January 29, 2000
There was a time when all you needed to know was C and Cobol. However since I last played with either of these languages, countless more have been introduced, CGI, Java, Perl C++, J++ etc etc.. I have tried to learn them but hate manuals and rarely read them. I find most are badly written and I lose interest VERY quickly. However, up until now I have avoided needing to learn any new languages. That has changed recently and I have had no choice but to pick up a Perl book and learn it. So I was surprised when after an hour in B&N reading all the perl books that I came across this one. It actually 'talked' to me in a way I liked and more importantly, kept me interested. For a beginner, it is an excellant book and I would have no problems recommending it to anyone. It does come with it own CD which has the Perl language. Also all the code and examples are on the CD. If you are a beginner, don't buy the impressive looking 1200 page book, it will just gather dust.
|
|
|
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Teachs an old C/C++ Dog New Tricks, March 1, 2000
To be marketable in the IT world, you must be versatile. I recently spent a great deal of time interacting with HR people from several local companies as part of a new program in accelerated training at a local community college. In our talks, one theme was nearly universal, in that a generalized skill set and an ability to learn quickly was preferred over expertise in one particular area. Achieving this versatility is not easy and requires quality resources.
Recently, it was necessary for me to learn the Perl programming language in a hurry, and this is the book that I used. In less than a week, I was able to understand and teach the basics of how to write Perl programs as part of web page design. The lessons here are all short and to the point, ideal for experienced programmers who are time challenged. Over the years, I had looked at Perl from time to time, but never felt the urge or need to learn it. As a C/C++ programmer, the syntax was odd (different) enough to keep me away. That was a problem when going through this book, old habits do indeed die hard, but not enough to significantly slow me down. The clarity and brevity of the examples was enough to overcome this not insignificant hurdle.
A CD containing a recent implementation of Perl, the source code for the examples and other Perl tools is included. This allows you to get started right out of the shrink wrap without spending any additional money. It may not seem like much, but I always prefer having the source code on a CD rather than having to go to a web site to get it. The extra convenience really appears out of proportion to what it is.
Perl is a language that is powerful and seems to be growing in use. Much of that is due to the explosive nature of the Internet and business on the web. However, some of the change is also a consequence of the growing realization among employers that one language does not do it all, that solutions can often be coded much quicker in another language. Furthermore, a diverse skill set is now being recognized by more employers as their most valuable asset. If you are one who needs to make that improvement, then this book will work for you.
|
|
|
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Argh! No typos whatsoever! The book rocks., July 11, 2000
Well, at least the version I bought in march 2000, version 5 I think, doesn't have those. the book is error ad typo free, and all the programs run perfectly. Now to the meat: When I began reading the book I knew perl does stuff on the web. That's all, really. Readin onl 8 hours of it, I've already developed various cool programs, reached the third level in perlmonks.com - a site for perl freaks, and saw I can really help people! The learning curve is amazing. Although It's not really 1 hour for each class, at least for me, It's 1:30 or so. I'd really, really suggest this... You can viably *SEE* your progress... It's amazing how after a week of reading the book you feel you know everything about the language: recursion, arrays, and everything there is in any other language, MASTERED by you. Spend a week more (to get to hour 14) and you... I cant describe it. The first time I feel so comfy with a programming language. MUST BUY.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Laura Lemay
by Dave Taylor
by Tom Christiansen
by Randal Schwartz
