[plug] From 'Perl Query...'

[Peter Wright]

On Thu, Feb 01, 2001 at 11:20:44AM +0800, Christian wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 31, 2001 at 11:11:42AM +0000, Kevin Shackleton wrote:
> > So how do normal people pick up Perl?

Normal people? Picking up Perl? Is that allowed? :)

While we're on the topic...

http://www.bbspot.com/News/2001/03/perl_test.html
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2001/01/perl_god.html 

[ snip ]
> > The Camel seems to be the traditional reference, but what are the
> > others like?  Or is there something better?
> 
> I'm sure this question has been asked and answered before so it might be
> worth checking the archives too.  My advice is get "Learning Perl" and,
> once you've mastered that, get "Advanced Perl Programming" if you feel
> you want to take it even further.  The camel book is basically just a
> reference book with very little more than you'll get from the perl*
> manual pages.

The 3rd edition of the Camel book (2000 vintage) is actually a bit more
than that. For the 2nd edition (1996 vintage), it was probably more true.
Just as a simple comparison, the 2nd edition has about 650 pages, the 3rd
edition over 1000 - and the 3rd edition covers a lot more.

It's technically correct to say that a large part of what you'll get from
the (current) Camel you can get from the manpages. However, the Camel has
more detail, more depth, more entertaining stories, and is laid out in a
way more conducive to browsing (IMO) than the manpages.

If you're poor or just don't feel like forking out money, don't worry about
it - just read the manpages, as they are pretty good (especially relative
to other free documentation) and you will be able to learn a lot from them.
The Camel book itself is better though. Sort of like the comparison between
the C++ FAQs Lite (available online) and the C++ FAQs in book form. If
you're serious about your programming, you want the version with serious
depth, detail and readability.

Aside from that though, I'd agree with Christian in recommending "Advanced
Perl Programming". Very very nice - covers a lot of the scarier but more
powerful aspects of Perl which the 2nd edition Camel glossed over or didn't
mention (for a lot of these I didn't realise how limited my understanding
of them was until I read APP). Very well written and edited too, as is
usual for O'Reilly books.

Pete.
-- 
http://cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~pete/

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