http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=551378


in reply to If I could only own one Perl book, it would be:

I voted for Programming Perl

(I've got the 2d edition), despite its information being largely replicated in the man pages. Since I program mostly for Windows, I needed to install Perl before I had access to the man pages; Programming Perl gave me enough useful information to convince me to do that and enough information to get started. I also currently own Learning Perl, which I found to be too basic, Mastering Perl/Tk, which is specialized (and, in my opinion, it could be better organized), and Perl Cookbook, which is handy when I want to steal some codeget inspired to find a solution to a specific problem. I still find the camel book to be useful, in that it's frequently easier for me to use a book than online man pages (especially with my randomly-prone-to-demonstrate-why-I-hate-Windows workplace desktop).

emc

"Being forced to write comments actually improves code, because it is easier to fix a crock than to explain it. "
—G. Steele