Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer

Dru has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hello Monks,

I hope everyone is starting off 2009 on a good note. It has been good for myself so far, I hope it stays that way. Well, after almost 10 years of Perl programming, I have decided 2009 is the year I am going to take my Perl knowledge to the next level. Right now I consider myself an intermediate Perl programmer (closer to the intermediate-beginner level) and by the end of 2009 I hope I can say I am at the intermediate-advanced level.

I told my manager this year I would like to use Perl to automate the team's manual tasks and he actually agreed and said I can go to Perl training if I like. He also tasked me with a project to tie all of our security systems together (similar to a SIM) which I know Perl is going to be great for (it has to be Web based so I plan on using one of the new Web frameworks such as Catalyst).

One question that I have for the monestary, does anyone recommend intermediate Perl training that they found usefull? My problem is I think I have adult ADD (I'm being half serious) and I have a hard time learning just by reading a book. I do much better in a training environment when we review a few chapters and then are given a lab to reinforce what we learned. I know I should be able to do this on my own, but I am not disciplined enough to, plus it's difficult with life in the way. I find a big plus of taking a training course is that you can concentrate on that one topic for an entire week without having to worry about family/work interruptions.

I appreciate any recommendations and feedback.

Thanks,
Dru

Perl, the Leatherman of Programming languages. - qazwart

Comment on Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer

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Re: Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer by amoore (Initiate) on Jan 07, 2009 at 17:30 UTC
I've found the best way to improve my perl programming is by attending a YAPC conference. Here's why: They're cheap, especially if you're close to Chicago You can learn a little bit about each of a ton of topics that you choose since there are so many talks given It's really motivating to see the cool things that other people are doing in perl There are usually "master classes" taught afterwards, and they're typically heavily discounted You meet a bunch of people that you can feel more comfortable asking questions of after the conference. There's a "frozen perl" conference next month. It's sort of like a Jr. YAPC.	[reply]
Re: Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer by zentara (Archbishop) on Jan 07, 2009 at 17:33 UTC
Sounds like you are looking for a Perl Uers Groups. See User Groups...or even start your own. I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth Remember How Lucky You Are	[reply]
Re: Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer by Lawliet (Curate) on Jan 07, 2009 at 20:02 UTC
it's difficult with life in the way Bleh, life is so annoying like that ;P. Anyway, the best way that I improve is to do things I have no idea how to do. At the end of it I usually know a great deal more. 'Intermediate-beginner' does not really help me determine how much you know. Do you know about references? Do you know about special variables? Are you able to rewrite the whole regex engine without trouble? You say you have been programming Perl for 10 years -- does that mean every day you write a new script or does it mean you need a one-liner every few months? 'Intermediate-beginner' is relative to the person. People who do not know much are often oblivious to that fact and people who are experienced know their weaknesses. I don't expect you to give a list of every fact you know about Perl but could you elaborate on what books/tutorials/classes you have read/taken already? (Update) After reading your home node I realize that you probably fall into the latter category (experienced people who know their weaknesses). In that case, I recommend you dissect some code (perhaps Moose's source code?) and grope around the internals (you may wish to wear gloves -- or a full length sleeve). And you didn't even know bears could type.	[reply]
Re: Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer by mirod (Canon) on Jan 07, 2009 at 22:03 UTC
Beyond going to a Perl conference, which is always great and will give you lots of energy and ideas, there are some very good companies that do Perl training, starting with Stonehenge (merlyn, brian d foy), and Consultix (Tim Maher). Look at their program or contact them to see if they have something available for you. If you go with an other company, just check the reputation of the instructor, there are enough good ones available that you shouldn't have to use a bad one.	[reply]
Re: Perl Training for an Intermediate Programmer by Dru (Hermit) on Jan 08, 2009 at 14:48 UTC
Thank you for the responses. I did not even consider YAPC. I wanted to attend one in the past, but I could never convince my managers to pony up ("You do IT Security, why do you want to go to a Perl conf/training" is what I have been told more then once). I finally have a manager who cares about their employees wishes/motivations, and see's the bigger picture. Thanks, Dru Perl, the Leatherman of Programming languages. - qazwart	[reply]
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