The following book reviews are the copyright of their respective authors and no part should be reproduced without the express permission of the author. Publishers and Authors of the books reviewed may reproduce the whole or extracts of a review for their book. To request copyright permission please email webmaster@birmingham.pm.org.
All the reviews herein are the opinions of the reviewer and are not necessarily the views of Birmingham Perl Mongers and its members. If you feel a review or comment has been made in error, please contact webmaster@birmingham.pm.org to rectify the situation.
Static Link: http://birmingham.pm.org/reviews/23
Title: | The Little Black Perl Book |
---|---|
Author(s): | Steven Holzner |
ISBN: | 1-576-10426-5 |
Publisher: | Coriolis |
Reviewer: | Barbie |
There have been several good reviews from the "Little Black Book" series and this is not going to go against that trend. Essentially a reference book, there is a hefty chunk of the book that acts like a set of mini man pages. However, there is plenty to clarify the more involved side of Perl programming without getting too in depth.
The book is split into very neat chapters, each beginning with an "in brief" section which basically sets the scene with a few examples, before launching into the whys and wherefores. The detailed sections of the chapters are always short and sweet, with just enough information to convey what each is about. There are plenty of code examples so that you can see how a specific concept or routine is used.
The layout is very straightforward, and it's very quick and easy to find the reference you need. Perhaps the handy part of the book is the quick reference card that is attached to the inside of the front cover. When I was learning C and vi I had similar cards, which became invaluable over the years. While this Perl card isn't as comprehensive, to the beginner it could become just as invaluable.
To be fair this is an equal to O'Reilly's Perl in a Nutshell, and choosing between the two would be very difficult. I'm fortunate in that I have both, using one at one home and the other at work.
My Verdict - If you're looking a pretty comprehensive Perl reference book, it's worth the purchase.
We are one of the UK's largest Perl user groups, representing Birmingham UK to the international Perl community since 2000. We hold monthly social and technical presentations, and several of our members are now regular attendees and speakers at the YAPC::Europe Perl Conferences.
For further information about Birmingham.pm, please read our Frequently Asked Questions page.
For details about joining our mailing list, please Click Here for more details.
No meeting currently scheduled
No meeting currently scheduled
Download the Birmingham.pm ICalendar
or subscribe to our Google Calendar
Aberdeen Perl Mongers
Bath Perl Mongers
Birmingham Perl Mongers
Bristol Perl Mongers
Devon & Cornwall Perl Mongers
Edinburgh Perl Mongers
Glasgow Perl Mongers
London Perl Mongers
Milton Keynes Perl Mongers
North of England Perl Mongers
Nottingham Perl Mongers
Southampton Perl Mongers
Thames Valley Perl Mongers
• Linux System Programming
• Mastering Perl
• GIMP 2 for Photographers
• Minimal Perl
• Wicked Cool Perl Scripts
• Red Hat Linux 9 Unleashed
• IRC Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
• eBay Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
• Exploiting Software - How To Break Code
• Mac OS X Unleashed, 2nd Edition
* New Reviews
.. More Reviews
Individual Sponsors:
Barbie
Steve Pitchford
Alex Chudnovsky
Richard Dawe
Jon Mitchell
Greg Brown
Brian McCauley
JJ
Richard Clamp
Jon Brookes
Corporate Sponsors:
Birmingham Science Park Aston
Target Support Solutions (TSS) Ltd.
MACS Software Ltd.