[za-pm] MODERN PERL by Chromatic. a sort of review

Anne Wainwright anotheranne at fables.co.za
Fri Feb 25 22:11:56 PST 2011


Hi, Spike,

should have added the link in to the review

http://www.onyxneon.com/books/modern_perl/index.html
http://www.modernperlbooks.com/mt/
the first being the book site, the second the authors blog

there are links there to the usual places (amazon, powells) but I find
it listed locally on loot.co.za (i recommend these people strongly).
Also the ebook version appears now in additional formats.

keep well & have a great day
Anne

Spike from spike at mweb.co.za said on Saturday 26 February 2011:

> Note: Beware! Default reply-to is to the list.
> 
> 
> Sounds very interesting! Where can I gat a copy from? Is it in
> 'print' as well as PDF?
> 
> On 25 Feb 2011, at 23:53, Anne Wainwright <anotheranne at fables.co.za>
> wrote:
> 
> > Note: Beware! Default reply-to is to the list.
> > 
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I downloaded a copy of this some while back and have been reading
> > through the chapters. Published in 2010 this is not another 'how
> > to' starter book on Perl.
> > 
> > It is a resume of Perl syntax, useage, & programming in almost 'aide
> > memoire' style, with small code snippets to illustrate the immediate
> > points. Coverage ranges from Perl Philosophy onwards. The focus is
> > on doing things using the best modern perl code elements rather than
> > hangover code from years back - however well that code might still
> > work.
> > 
> > Having read through LEARNING PERL, INTERMEDIATE PERL, and other
> > related O'Reilly publications, this was perhaps a good moment to
> > chance upon this. I find that it in a concise, structured, and
> > ordered way it covers everything that I have sampled in the
> > O'Reilly books (more perhaps since all of mine are old editions).
> > 
> > It does not replace PROGRAMMING PERL or THE PERL COOKBOOK, neither
> > does it attempt to teach programming by way of worked examples or by
> > developing small applications. Rather it puts together in one place
> > the key points of current practice in a systematic way. It is not
> > just a bare-bones reference though. Entries are linked to others
> > where needed, it does not attempt to explain every option in full
> > detail only those of major importance. It does set out to inculcate
> > perl programming using modern idioms. 
> > 
> > The preface states: (I hope this wraps ok for you)
> > 
> >> Perl turns 23 years old later this year. The language has gone
> >> from a simple tool for system administration somewhere between
> >> shell scripting and C programming (Perl 1) to a powerful,
> >> general-purpose language steeped in a rich heritage (Perl 5) and a
> >> consistent, coherent, rethinking of programming in general intended
> >> to last for another 25 years (Perl 6).
> >> Even so, most Perl 5 programs in the world take far too little
> >> advantage of the language. You can write Perl 5 programs as if
> >> they were Perl 4 programs (or Perl 3 or 2 or 1), but programs
> >> written to take advantage of everything amazing the worldwide
> >> Perl 5 community has invented, polished, and discovered are
> >> shorter, faster, more powerful, and easier to maintain than their
> >> alternatives. Modern Perl is a loose description of how
> >> experienced and effective Perl 5 programmers work. They use
> >> language idioms. They take advantage of the CPAN. They’re
> >> recognizably Perlish, and they show good taste and craftsmanship
> >> and a full understandin of Perl. You can learn this too.
> > 
> > I haven't got Damian Conway's PERL BEST PRACTICE so I cannot
> > compare it with that standard work which might be a comparable text.
> > 
> > Perhaps it would be a good reference for an experienced programmer
> > wanting to fast-track their Perl skills. I like it because I find
> > it a useful bridge between how I do things and how I should do
> > things and I expect it to jerk my Perl up a few notches. It
> > collects every thing together in one source that I might have to
> > locate and synthesise from many different perl books.
> > 
> > I don't suppose that every one will like it, but for me it has a
> > place in the scheme of things Perl.
> > 
> > One beef. I have it in .pdf format. The fonts are small and do not
> > print out well. You cannot highlight or annotate it which would
> > seem a must for me if electronic texts are to be really useful. I
> > don't know what if any format supports those actions, none that I
> > have seen so far. I'll likely get a print copy.
> > 
> > best regards
> > Anne
> > 
> > 
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