Perl: Your visual blueprint for building Perl scripts
January 16th, 2010 | 
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Product Description
Welcome to the only guidebook series that takes a visual approach to professional-level computer topics. Inside you’ll discover step-by-step screen shots that demonstrate over 100 key Perl tasks, including:
- Demystifying references
- Creating variables and expressions
- Building arrays, lists, and subroutines
- Generating output
- Working with strings
- Handling regular expressions
- Working with file systems
- Harnessing Perl modules
- Using Perl with CGI
- Working with databases
The companion CD-ROM includes:
- Perl 5.6.0
- Perl Builder and ActiveState Perl Development Kit evaluation versions
- Perl2Exe for Win 32 trial version
- Visual Perl Editor and UltraEdit32 shareware versions
- Plus, all sample code and an eversion of the book
Amazon.com Review
The multifaceted Perl programming language is captured in a new profile in this fascinating, graphically driven synopsis by a group of graphical text designers at Maran Graphics. Perl newbies of marginal literacy–or who have no patience for textual explanations of programming tasks–will find the visual blueprint to be a stimulating and highly parallel interface for the communication of Perl syntax, code structure, and functionality. Each page is printed in three shades of blue text and graphics, as well as black text. The random-access, task-oriented design encourages browsing, and the visual effects capture the blueprint concept in their clarity and simplicity.
But there is a fine line between simple and simplistic. In an effort to convey the live look-and-feel code-development environment, the Maran designers depict the “pico” editor window around every code snippet; “pico”‘s own interface becomes synonymous with Perl by the third example. Moreover, the editors underestimate newbie user-interface experience when they remind the user to “position the cursor” in certain locations before typing the next segment of the demonstration code–even after 16 chapters. Code annotation is graphically stimulating throughout, but conceptually mundane. Plenty of white space on each page keeps the visual display from being cluttered, and emphasizes also missed pedagogical opportunities.
The Maran group succeeds in hitting Perl’s most important high points in its 285-page jaunt across the language. Examples for variable dereferencing, making and using Perl modules, building dynamic Web interfaces, accessing databases, and designing for the CGI server-side Web interface all are included. The emphasis on example will privately delight older hands who might rediscover forgotten shortcuts. Maran’s spoon-feeding style demystifies the newer corners of Perl’s Web implementation, including one-line cookie handling. The accompanying CD-ROM contains Perl 5.6 distribution for Unix, ActivePerl for Windows platforms, a PDF-format e-copy of the text itself, and a variety of extras. –Peter Leopold
Perl: Your visual blueprint for building Perl scripts
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4 Responses to “Perl: Your visual blueprint for building Perl scripts”
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This is not a book to learn Perl from. The inherent problem with this book is the author tries to give you a practical problem and then a way in Perl to solve the problem.
Compared to other instructional Perl books I found this one lacking the structure needed to learn the language.
It may be just me. Maybe these visual blueprint books are not the way I learn. I just know that this one will sit on my shelf collecting dust.
Rating: 2 / 5
I think that this is an excellent book for someone who already programs in Perl, but is looking to anchor and increase his/her knowledge via a different learning approach.
I found the format of this book to be very intuitive. I think that the book can be highly useful for many intermediate-level Perl programmers.
Before judging the book based on these reviews, make sure you get to browse it for 20 minutes to see if the book’s content and instruction approach fit your needs.
Rating: 5 / 5
While Perl is an important language for web programmers, I feel that it should be learned in whole and not in a small reference. The “Visual Blueprint” series has its purpose, however “Perl: Your visual blueprint for building Perl scripts” does not explain many important advanced tasks that Perl programmers often get into.
I enjoy the aesthetic quality of the Maran Graphics’ books, and have nothing against this book. However, serious programmers who want to learn much more of Perl and CGI should take a look at Perl How to Program by the Deitels. It is much more effective in teaching Perl theory as well as giving you a lot examples that are complex enough to use multiple ideas. The Complete Perl Training Coarse (also from the Deitels) is very effective as well.
I am still a child, but I have explored many server-side programming technologies (Java Servlets, Applets, JSP, CGI, and Perl) and feel that I am expierenced enough to review this book.
Rating: 4 / 5
This whole series is great for Developers who learn from example. This book gets to the point, without boring you with too much text…. but gives you more information than just syntax. You don’t get the “crafty commentary” as you would in the Wall/Christansen books that lets you into the background and practicality of Perl, but this one is still worth taking a look at.
Rating: 4 / 5