use Perl

Review of "Perl Best Practices"

posted by davorg on 2005.09.15 10:57   

barryp (Paul Barry) writes "The Linux Journal have just published my review of Damian Conway's latest book. I think it is one of the most important books to appear in the Perl space in quite some time." Update: 09/15 16:21 GMT by P : Slashdot also posted a review of the book.

• And in the slashdot review... (Score:1)

  by itub (5708)

  ...don't miss the usual avalanche of anti-Perl posts!
• Has this been edited? (Score:1)

  by msierra (4821)

  Argh! The problem is "exacerbated," not "exasperated."
  • Re:Has this been edited? (Score:2)

    by barryp (2829)

    Obviously, not enough. You are correct. Thanks for pointing out my typo (bad editing). This problem is , of course, exacerbated. Thanks again. (Paul).
• Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:1)

  by GAVollink (5690)

  I've never considered opening a file with a $scalar. I may have to read the book just to find out why bareword files are so bad.

  Anybody want to clue me in, so I can avoid the book?
  • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:1)

    by tirwhan (6235)

    Seriously don't avoid this book. PBP has got to be the most useful perl reference since the camel.
    • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:2)

      by barryp (2829)

      I cannot agree more, and said as much at the very end of my review: "PBP is a must-have". (Paul).
      • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:1)

        by mpapec (5159)

        Damian shows in book that some of the perl defaults were badly picked, (i.e. /xmg switches should be default for regexs) so most of current programmers should change the way they're thinking. I hope this will make sense to people which are starting with perl..
    • Avoidance (Score:1)

      by GAVollink (5690)

      Perhaps I should clarify.

      What I meant to say, is that computer books are painfully expensive in general, and I don't want to buy another Perl book until the "Covers Version 6" editions start rolling.

      Thank you all for your concern. I might flip through a copy at my local B&N.
      • covers Perl 6? (Score:1)

        by qu1j0t3 (6286)

        Better bring a wheelbarrow to the bookstore if that ever happens. :)
  • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:2)

    by rafael (2125)

    Well, FILEHANDLES are global, and global variables are evil, aren't they.
    • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:2)

      by barryp (2829)

      Well .. emm ... eh ... sort of ... yes they are ... global, not neccarily evil, though ... and you are still strongly advised to read PBP. (Paul).
    • Re:Uh, $filehandles??? (Score:1)

      by marklark (634)

      No... Not evil.
      
      Just potentially dangerous - like all powerful tools.