Core Perl Paperback - 2001

From the publisher

Perl is becoming the scripting language of choice for dynamic Web sites and databases. Perl programs can also run across Macintosh, UNIX, and Windows platforms and is particularly popular among Web site developers. Reuven Lerner has successfully applied the proven Core series approach to this critical open-source technology. By focusing on real-world examples and providing thoroughly tested sample code, Core Perl, provides the solutions to real problems that Web developers need. It is packed with practical techniques used by professional programmers.
-- Details Perl's functionality in commonly used applications: text-handling, DBI files, text files, networking and databases-- Takes a "tools-based" approach -- gives readers the tools they need to solve various programming problems quickly
-- Demonstrates how to use Perl on the World Wide Web for standalone CGI programs and how to integrate it with mod _perl into the Apache Web Server-- This is the perfect companion to the Perl reference Programming Perl

Perl, which is short for Practical Extraction and Report Language, is a programming language developed by Larry Wall. Perl is an interpretive language, which makes it easy to build and test simple programs. Because of its strong text processing abilities, Perl has become one of the most popular languages for writing CGI scripts. Modern versions of Perl support object-oriented programming, complex data structures, modular code and excellent diagnostic error messages.

In Part One the author examines the Perl syntax, beginning with major data types (scalars, arrays, and hashes) and quickly moves onto references, complex data structures and built-in functions and variables.In Part Two the author focuses on programs that exercise all of these features, creating simple network clients and servers, parsing text, and using Perl's database interface (DBI). Part Three of the book begins by looking at CGI, a popular method for generating dynamic Web content. This section of the book also covers HTTP cookies, HTML/Perl templates, and how to incorporate a relational database within a site.

This book is targeted at Web developers and system administrators with a background in programming