Part 2: Minimal Perl: for UNIX and Linux Shell Programmers

Part 1 focused on ways in which simple Perl programs can provide superior alternatives to standard Unix commands. Along the way, you learned the features of Perl that are relevant to emulating or surpassing the functionality of grep, sed, awk, and find. Although those features are an essential subset of Minimal Perl, there’s more for you to discover.

In part 2, our focus will shift to rounding out your view of Perl. Accordingly, you’ll learn to use additional language features that will let your programs solve a wider variety of problems, and to do so with greater efficiency and OS portability.

The topics we’ll cover are diverse, including the following:

• Special programming techniques used in scripts

• The most essential built-in functions

• Storing and retrieving data using arrays and hashes

• Compartmentalizing program code for easier access and reuse

• Preventing name-clashes between variables

• Downloading, installing, using and creating Perl modules

We’ll also discuss how to go beyond the implicit loop by writing explicit ones, and how to automate your menu-oriented programming with Perl’s new Shell-inspired select loop—developed especially for this book!

Unlike part 1, part 2 assumes an understanding of basic Shell programming techniques. If you lack this background you may still benefit from reading part 2, but you should focus on the discussions of the Perl features themselves rather than the Shell-to-Perl translation aids that accompany them.