Product Description

The Perl Pocket Reference is an invaluable reference for those who find themselves frequently searching for a quick answer to a question or reminder of a syntax rule. This handy, well-organized quick reference condenses stacks of Perl documentation down to the most essential at-your-fingertips facts. For ease-of-use, convenience, and price, this little reference is the first place Perl programmers look when they need an answer quickly. The Perl Pocket Referenc provides a complete overview of the Perl programming language, all packed into a convenient, carry-around booklet. It is updated for Perl 5.8, and covers a summary of Perl syntax rules, a complete list of operators, built-in functions, and standard library modules, all with brief descriptions. Also included are the newest Perl features, such as enhanced regular expressions, multithreading, the Perl compiler, and Unicode support. The Perl Pocket Reference, 4th Edition, is the perfect companion to the authoritative books on Perl published by O'Reilly & Associates: Programming Perl, Learning Perl, and the Perl Cookbook. This pocket reference will never make it to the bookshelf--dog-eared and well worn, it will remain within arms reach of the keyboard or tucked in a back pocket, where it will be referred to on a daily basis.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58024 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Synopsis
This is a reference for those who find themselves frequently searching for a quick answer to a question or reminder of a syntax rule. It condenses stacks of Perl documentation down to essential facts and offers a complete overview of the Perl programming language, packed into a convenient booklet. It is updated for Perl 5.8, and covers a summary of Perl syntax rules, a complete list of operators, built-in functions, and standard library modules, all with brief descriptions. Also included are the newest Perl features, such as enhanced regular expressions, multithreading, the Perl compiler, and Unicode support.

About the Author
Johan Vromans has engaged in software engineering research since 1975. Convinced of the importance of a good programming environment, he became an expert in using GNU Emacs and the Perl programming language. Recently he was instrumental in bringing the Internet to the Netherlands as a commercial activity. He currently owns his own typesetting and consulting business called Squirrel Consultancy. He can be reached at JVromans@squirrel.nl.

Customer Reviews

Excellent and portable
I keep a copy of this in my briefcase, so I'm never stuck when I can't remember the name of a function, or the order of its arguments. It isn't a replacement for the full Camel book, though. This book will only jog your memory: it won't teach you concepts.

Good reminder for occasional Perl user
Like a lot of developers, I don't use Perl every day as my main development tool. Instead I use Perl occasionally to update configuration files, mass source code changes, development utilities etc. As a result I find myself forgetting the syntax, semantics, packages that I need to write effective (though perhaps not wonderful) Perl scripts to get the job done. I bought this book on a whim and have found it very useful to remind me about Perl when I need to use it - often in a rush. The O'Reilly "Programming Perl" was excellent to start with but too hard to use as a concise reference.

However the price tag / content for this book is too high in my opinion. Around the five pounds mark would be more reasonable hence four stars.