use Perl

• Read, Practice and Help Others (Score:2)

  by Mr. Muskrat (4572)

  I started by reading everything I could find on Perl. Then I started using Perl to add functionality to my web site. Later I started writing stand-alone apps so that I wouldn't have to buy some pricey piece of software. A short time after that I started using Perl at work to make my data entry job easier. (Stop laughing, the job market sucked.)

  It was at that time that I found Perl Monks. I would read the posts every day and absorb as much as I could. I started posting replies when I knew the answer (o
  • Re: (Score:1)

    by sigzero (5768)

    I wish you all the best. May it be a fun and enlightening journey!

    I am hoping it will be and I hope to learn enough to give back to the community in some way.
• c.l.p.* (Score:2)

  by gizmo_mathboy (782)

  While I am college educated I didn't get a degree in programming. I picked up Perl while a software tester. It was mostly for stuff not directly related to the job.
  
  I got better by reading, hanging out on clpm and reading everything. This started way back in 1996.
  
  I've rusted somewhat because my current job as a sysadmin hasn't pushed my Perl skills.
  
  I'm aiming to get sharp again.
• Books, Conferences and Obfuscations (Score:2)

  by domm (4030)

  I spend some one or two years at the university, but I was studying sociology and not computer science. When I started with Perl ~10 years ago, I learned all I needed from books like "Learning Perl" and "Advanced Perl Programming (1st Ed.)". In retrospect, my code from this time was horrible.

  Then I started to go to conferences (YAPC::Europe [yapceurope.org], German Perl Workshop, ..) where I learned a lot (not so much on Perl itself, but more on general development strategies, testing etc). It also helps to give talks, be
• It was harder in 1988 :) (Score:2)

  by merlyn (47)

  I read the perl-1 manpage. That's how I got started.

  --
  

  • Randal L. Schwartz
  • Stonehenge
  • Re: (Score:1)

    by sigzero (5768)

    I have started printing out the POD stuff (perlreftut, etc.) to read.
    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jonasbn (1153)

      I started out with Learning Perl, I have given away copies of this marvelous book. It has assignments, this is what can really get you going, problems that need solving, hands-on is the best way in my opinion.
      
      I am self-taught, I have some academic experience, but I never finished anything, there was simply too much work :)
• I have thought a lot about this (Score:1)

  by Limbic Region (3985)

  so much so, that I have been toying with the idea of writing a book on the topic. In any case, here are a few links I have written that may be of some interest:

  • The Value of Re-coding [perlmonks.org]
  • Road Map Woes [perlmonks.org]
  • Balancing Coding Time And Code Quality [perlmonks.org]
  • Necessity is the mother of invention [perlmonks.org]
  • Recommended Reading [perlmonks.org]