The Perl Pocket Reference is an invaluable reference for those who find themselves frequently searching for a quick answer to a question or reminder of a syntax rule. This handy, well-organized quick reference condenses stacks of Perl documentation down to the most essential at-your-fingertips facts. For ease-of-use, convenience, and price, this little reference is the first place Perl programmers look when they need an answer quickly. The Perl Pocket Referenc provides a complete overview of the Perl programming language, all packed into a convenient, carry-around booklet. It is updated for Perl 5.8, and covers a summary of Perl syntax rules, a complete list of operators, built-in functions, and standard library modules, all with brief descriptions. Also included are the newest Perl features, such as enhanced regular expressions, multithreading, the Perl compiler, and Unicode support. The Perl Pocket Reference, 4th Edition, is the perfect companion to the authoritative books on Perl published by O'Reilly & Associates: Programming Perl, Learning Perl, and the Perl Cookbook. This pocket reference will never make it to the bookshelf--dog-eared and well worn, it will remain within arms reach of the keyboard or tucked in a back pocket, where it will be referred to on a daily basis.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Buy a clue, Gerald - 2005-08-26
Reviewer Rating:
Gerald W. Irmler writes in his review "I also have two very large Perl books that are also almost useless, so maybe it's a Perl problem." Well yes, Perl is not an easy language, but I suspect that the main problem here is an Irmler problem. This book does a very good job of doing what it intends to. Another clue that Irmler is lacking a clue is the baffling comment that "The author seemed more interested in being clever and funny, then (sic) imparting information." Huh? The book is comprised entirely of very succinct facts about the language. There is no style here to speak of, due to the nature of the book.

I rate this book 5 stars, Irmler -5 stars.

Very Terse - 2006-07-11
Reviewer Rating:
Perl Pocket Reference only gives lists and tables. No explanation of how to use the various functions, variables, etc. Definitely not for new-comers.

I was very disappointed by this pocket reference. I was expecting something more like the very high quality "Python Pocket Reference", which manages to give complete description of the language, all functions, standard modules, etc, ALONG WITH EXAMPLES FOR EACH; The Python Pocket Reference is able to be used as a standalone reference. This is definitely not true for the Perl Pocket Reference; You will need other books to make this pocket reference make sense... what a pain!

Out of 5 Perl books, my most-used reference - 2008-09-15
Reviewer Rating:
Out of my fairly extensive Perl library, this is the book that sits next to my keyboard - the one that I keep "at-hand". Simple, concise, easy to find the data you are looking for .... it just "works" as a reference book.

No, you're not going to find the syntax for building and manipulating a hash of hashes, but you've got the full list of special variables, a good list of common functions, and great starting points for things like Network programming, Win32 programming, regular expressions, and more.

Definitely worth the price of entry if you are a beginner to moderate Perl programmer who doesn't code every day and frequently needs a reference.

Good Quick Reference - 2007-11-19
Reviewer Rating:
This book is a good quick reference. If I can't find previous code I always reach for this book when I need to get a quick syntax reference.

quick hints/ reminder of perl cmd - 2006-03-24
Reviewer Rating:
good and give me a quick review/reminder of perl commands

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