Amazon.com Review
Perl is undoubtedly one of the more powerful programming languages available today, but it also can be one of the trickier ones to master. Cross-Platform Perl, 2nd Edition provides an extremely clear tutorial to ways of using Perl effectively, both on Windows and Unix versions. With plenty of simple examples and a cut-to-the-chase presentation style, this book can put the powers of Perl within the reach of almost anyone.

You can benefit from this book in at least two ways: first, via a remarkably understandable tutorial for basic Perl, from basic syntax and language features (plus a nice explanation of regular expressions, which can be daunting for beginners); second, there's a focus on powerful Perl modules (freely downloadable from CPAN and elsewhere), and simple code that shows how to use them for common tasks, like launching and controlling applications, system administration, and basic Web development. Better yet, Cross-Platform Perl shows how to do this under both Windows and Unix/Linux.

Later chapters explain the use of Perl on the Internet, with a tutorial for CGI and Web scripts, as well as excellent material on XML. Short, effective code examples are the rule, although several later chapters provide longer samples. The text closes with how to build client/server socket-based network programs, and a quick introduction to graphical user interfaces that are built with Perl/Tk. The exceptionally clear writing style makes the whole book even more accessible and a pleasure to read.

Whether you're a system administrator or an aspiring Perl developer, Cross-Platform Perl, 2nd Edition shows you some of the best ways to use Perl on both Windows and Unix. This is a smart and extremely approachable book that'll teach you how to use Perl effectively for a wide variety of common computing tasks. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Perl basics and language tutorial
• Scripts
• Variables
• Arrays
• Associative arrays
• Flow control
• File I/O with Perl
• Pattern matching and regular expressions
• Perl for formatted text database reports
• Overview of Perl modules and CPAN
• Launching and automating applications on Windows and Unix
• System administration on Windows and Unix
• CGI and Web development tutorial with Perl (including using HTML forms)
• Perl and XML
• Perl for software developers (automating software builds, version control, documentation)
• Building IP-based network servers and clients in Perl (including FTP support)
• Perl/Tk for building graphical user interfaces