Perl Resource Kit--Unix Edition is a first-rate collection of books and software from the Perl authorities at O'Reilly. This is the first "official" commercial distribution of Perl and includes a number of great references, as well as a startling new hybrid of Java and Perl.
The kit includes the two-volume set, Perl Module Reference, which explains the existing Perl modules--encapsulated packages of reusable code that will save time and trouble for the programmer. An invaluable reference, these volumes will appeal to those who work consistently with the language. In addition, the kit includes Programming with Perl Modules, another useful learning guide. An excellent tutorial on the use and creation of Perl modules, this book also serves as a practical introduction to object-oriented programming with Perl 5. The guide is an excellent companion to O'Reilly's Advanced Perl Programming.
The included CD-ROM contains a host of utilities and tools. It features a snapshot of the CPAN Perl module distribution as well as the installation program that allows administrators to install the most recent version of Perl modules from the Internet. The greatest appeal of Perl Resource Kit--Unix Edition is undoubtedly the Java-Perl Interface, documented in the Perl Utilities Guide. The Java-Perl Interface offers all of the features of Java that were previously unavailable to Perl programmers--byte-code distribution, the Abstract Window Toolkit, Remote Method Invocation (RMI), and a more structured way to handle events. In addition, by using Perl modules and the Java-Perl Interface, Perl programmers will need to write more structured programming, which should begin to ease the tensions between Perl programmers and their critics.
Product Description
The Perl Resource Kit -- UNIX Edition gives you the most comprehensive collection of Perl documentation and commercially enhanced software tools available today. Developed in association with Larry Wall, the creator of Perl, it's the definitive Perl distribution for Webmasters, programmers, and system administrators. The Perl Resource Kit provides:
- Over 1800 pages of tutorial and in-depth reference documentation for Perl utilities and extensions, in four volumes.
- A CD-ROM containing the complete Perl distribution, plus hundreds of freeware Perl extensions and utilities -- a complete snapshot of the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) -- as well as new software written by Larry Wall just for this Kit.
- A complete snapshot of CPAN, with an install program for Solaris and Linux that ensures that all necessary modules are installed together. Also includes an easy-to-use search tool and a Web-aware interface that allows you to get the latest version of each module.
- A new Java/Perl interface that allows programmers to write Java classes with Perl implementations. This new tool was written specially for this Kit by Larry Wall.
