Article 9594 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9594 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!uunet!imagen!pomeranz From: pomeranz@imagen.com (Hal Pomeranz) Subject: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> Followup-To: poster Summary: you kibbitz, I write Sender: usenet@aqm.com Nntp-Posting-Host: cockroach Organization: QMS Inc., Imagen Division Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 23:43:54 GMT Lines: 26 On the strength of my "Perl Practicum" articles in the USENIX ";login:" magazine (OK, that was a blatant plug), I've been approached by a publisher who'd like to add and Advanced Perl text to their catalogues. I recall late last year a thread on what people wanted to see in an Advanced Perl book or book on Practical Perl programming or in the new Camel. Well, since I'm at the formative stages of my book, now's the chance to make your opinion count. Send me (via email) whatever you'd like to see (or not see) in a new Perl book. If you don't have any ideas, but would be interested in a new Advanced Perl book, let me know that too-- it'll help me pitch the book more effectively. For those of you who are also thinking about writing Perl books, I'd be happy to summarize the results of this little survey, in an attempt to keep the playing field even. My fingers are aching just thinking about all this... -- ============================================================================== Hal Pomeranz pomeranz@aqm.com pomeranz@cs.swarthmore.edu System/Network Manager "All I can say is that my life is pretty plain. QMS Santa Clara I like watchin' the puddles gather rain." Blind Melon Article 9615 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9615 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl From: timbo@ig.co.uk (Tim Bunce) Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uknet!dis.demon.co.uk!ig.co.uk!timbo Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> Organisation: Paul Ingram Group, Software Systems, +44 483 424424 Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 10:10:52 +0000 Message-ID: Sender: usenet@demon.co.uk Lines: 25 In article <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> pomeranz@imagen.com (Hal Pomeranz) writes: > >On the strength of my "Perl Practicum" articles in the USENIX ";login:" >magazine (OK, that was a blatant plug), I've been approached by a >publisher who'd like to add and Advanced Perl text to their catalogues. > This reminds me, I recently saw a reference to a new Perl book that I'd not heard of... Software Engineering with Perl Ditcher, Carl and Mark Pease Prentice Hall, 1994 0-13-016965-X I understand it's due to be published shortly. Does anyone know anything about this? It's content, depth or style? >============================================================================== > Hal Pomeranz pomeranz@aqm.com pomeranz@cs.swarthmore.edu >System/Network Manager "All I can say is that my life is pretty plain. > QMS Santa Clara I like watchin' the puddles gather rain." Blind Melon Regards, Tim Bunce. Article 9625 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9625 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!spsgate!mogate!newsgate!jims-new!markp From: markp@jims-new.vlsi-az.sps.mot.com (Mark Pease) Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <1994Jan12.002735.25072@newsgate.sps.mot.com> Sender: news@newsgate.sps.mot.com Nntp-Posting-Host: jims.sps.mot.com Organization: Motorola/Codex VLSI Design Center, Tempe AZ References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 00:27:35 GMT Lines: 112 In article , Tim Bunce wrote: >This reminds me, I recently saw a reference to a new Perl book that I'd >not heard of... > > Software Engineering with Perl > Ditcher, Carl and Mark Pease > Prentice Hall, 1994 > 0-13-016965-X > >I understand it's due to be published shortly. > >Does anyone know anything about this? It's content, depth or style? >Regards, >Tim Bunce. Well.... Just because you asked :-) Here is a (slightly old) copy of the Table of Contents: ++++++++ 1 Introduction Why we wrote this book Software Tools Enable Big Productivity Gains Why Perl Good for Software Engineering Tools Software Development Processes and Prototyping How to use this book Your Friends Along the Way 2 An Introduction to Perl What is Perl? Why is Perl useful for rapid prototyping? Perl Data types Variables Literals Basic Syntax Subroutines Packages Operators Regular Expressions Special Variables Wrapping Up 3 Prototyping with Perl Why Prototype? Risk Area #1: Unknowns in customer requirements Risk Area #2: Unknowns in technology Risk Area #3: Unknowns in interfaces The Waterfall Development Model The Spiral Model Structured Rapid Prototyping Object Oriented Analysis and Design Other Development Methodologies Prototyping Methods Risks of Prototyping The General Case of Prototyping Requirements Analysis Design Implementation and Test The Final Spin Cycle Re-implementation in target language CASE History: Prototyping Power Estimation 4 Productivity Tools Generic "Tags" File Generator Tool Code Generators Test Fixtures 5 Software Metrics with Perl Why Metrics? What is Software Metrics? Counting Lines of Code Halstead's Metrics McCabe's Metric Using Software and Other Metrics Misusing Metrics Metrics, Management and Misconception Not in My Code Look What I've Done Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics Those Who Live By The Books... 6 Configuration Management The How and Why of Configuration Management Two Ways of Managing Versions Revision Control System (RCS) Basics How far does it take us? RCS Perl Scripts Smart Diff Tool Smart CI, and CO Tools Problem Reporting Stretch Yourself on Configuration Management 7 Stretch Yourself on Software Engineering Appendix A Toolkit Libraries Langdef File Format and Access Routines The Perl Forms System Appendix B Portable Perl 177 Appendix C Bibliography 179 Index ++++++++ We are madly coyp (SIC) editing. Oh No! I just found three programs that did not get put in the book! I better get back writing and stop reading News! -- Mark Pease markp@vlsi-az.sps.mot.com Motorola CODEX VLSI Design Center 2710 S Roosevelt St. Mail Stop: AZ28 BB106 Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone:(602)784-2725 FAX:(602)784-2759 Article 9638 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9638 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!psinntp!alsys1!yu1.yu.edu!manaster From: manaster@yu1.yu.edu (Chaim Manaster) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> Date: 12 Jan 94 08:04:11 GMT References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> Sender: news@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu Organization: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UCLA Lines: 33 Nntp-Posting-Host: yu1.yu.edu Two thoughts on some of the materila I would like to see in an "Advanced Perl" are as follows: 1) Include material that explains some of the guts of the language. For example explain how the regex compiler works, the "C" language interface, and other such "under-the-hood" information that is certainly interesting (and perhaps even useful:-). (as against simply a "user manual" some what like a cook-book) 2) Include information as it pertains to DOS users of Perl. Where the differences lie and what the limitations DOS imposes are. Methods to circumvent the limitiations. 3) Lots of material on proper quoting in complex situations that require multiple quotes to get the expression or regex to work correctly. For example a good table of which functions require an "extra layer" of quotes and which do not. Sincerely Henry Manaster -- *************************************************************************** Henry Manaster * EMail: manaster@yu1.yu.edu Brooklyn, NY * * Disclaimer: The above is not necessarily MY opinion nor that of anyone else :-) ????! **************************************************************************** Article 9641 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9641 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!uknet!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!udel!news.sprintlink.net!news.world.net!news.teleport.com!desiree!merlyn From: merlyn@ora.com (Randal L. Schwartz) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 12 Jan 1994 14:58:26 GMT Organization: Stonehenge Consulting Services; Portland, Oregon, USA Lines: 27 Message-ID: References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: kelly.teleport.com In-reply-to: manaster@yu1.yu.edu's message of 12 Jan 94 08:04:11 GMT >>>>> "Chaim" == Chaim Manaster writes: Chaim> 2) Include information as it pertains to DOS users of Perl. Chaim> Where the differences lie and what the limitations DOS imposes are. Chaim> Methods to circumvent the limitiations. This is best written and distributed by the (many) DOS porters. Larry doesn't do the DOS ports, and has no control over the outcome. Any third-party writer would have double the trouble. Chaim> 3) Lots of material on proper quoting in complex situations Chaim> that require multiple quotes to get the expression or regex to work Chaim> correctly. For example a good table of which functions require an Chaim> "extra layer" of quotes and which do not. Gosh, I'd like to see an example of what you're talking about here. I never really think of writing code that needs "multiple" or an "extra layer" of quotes. But if this is something that people "learning perl" stumble on, I've got a better place for it than an advanced book. :-) print "Just another Perl [book] hacker and animal trainer," -- Name: Randal L. Schwartz / Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095 Keywords: Perl training, UNIX[tm] consulting, video production, skiing, flying Email: Snail/FAX: (Call) aka: Phrase: "Welcome to Portland, Oregon ... home of the California Raisins!" Article 9664 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9664 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!network.ucsd.edu!news.cerf.net!software.com!not-for-mail From: mike@software.com (Michael D'Errico) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 12 Jan 1994 12:08:42 -0800 Organization: Software Now, Santa Barbara, CA Lines: 35 Distribution: world Message-ID: <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com> References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: rome.software.com merlyn@ora.com (Randal L. Schwartz) writes: >>>>>> "Chaim" == Chaim Manaster writes: >Chaim> 3) Lots of material on proper quoting in complex situations >Chaim> that require multiple quotes to get the expression or regex to work >Chaim> correctly. For example a good table of which functions require an >Chaim> "extra layer" of quotes and which do not. >Gosh, I'd like to see an example of what you're talking about here. I >never really think of writing code that needs "multiple" or an "extra >layer" of quotes. But if this is something that people "learning >perl" stumble on, I've got a better place for it than an advanced >book. :-) I think one example of this is with the eval command, and the quotes are backslashes. It took a while to understand that there are really two levels of interpretation going on when using double quotes. Something like eval "$foo = $bar"; is what I (and probably most beginners) thought was the way to have Perl set the variable foo to the contents of bar. What I really wanted to do is eval "\$foo = \$bar"; but that is not obvious to someone from a C background with little know- ledge of shell programming where double quotes are somewhat magical. You are right that such things aren't really "advanced" Perl, but the eval command is (IMO) an advanced function and with it come some unique quirks that could be better explained. Michael D'Errico mike@software.com Article 9667 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9667 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!hermes.chpc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!bigboote.WPI.EDU!noc.near.net!newshost.meiko.com!not-for-mail From: mike@meiko.com (Mike Stok) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 12 Jan 1994 16:35:37 -0500 Organization: Meiko Scientific, Inc., MA Lines: 39 Message-ID: <2h1qf9$7m3@bart.meiko.com> References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bart.meiko.com In article <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com>, Michael D'Errico wrote: > >I think one example of this is with the eval command, and the quotes are >backslashes. It took a while to understand that there are really two >levels of interpretation going on when using double quotes. Something >like > eval "$foo = $bar"; I think that there's only one level of interpretation going on with the double quotes, and that seems normal to me, if it's in double quotes then interpolation will happen, so the string which gets passed to eval will be ' = ' if you had said eval ('$foo = $bar'); then you'd get the result you had wanted. One thing I found helpful was to construct eval code into a scalar which could be printed e.g. $cmd = '$foo = $bar'; warn "about to eval <$cmd>\n" if $verbose; eval ($cmd); warn "eval ($cmd) failed\n$@" if $@; But, there again I have found things difficult to grasp that other people seemed to find easy, I guess it's a combination of what you've been exposed to and the way different people's minds work, so this is not mreant to be a "You idiot!" post :-) Mike -- The "usual disclaimers" apply. | Meiko Mike Stok | Reservoir Place Mike.Stok@meiko.waltham.ma.us | 1601 Trapelo Road Meiko tel: (617) 890 7676 | Waltham, MA 02154 Article 9720 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9720 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!yeshua.marcam.com!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!lynx.unm.edu!tucumcari.eece.unm.edu!neilb From: neilb@tucumcari.eece.unm.edu (Neil Bowers) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 13 Jan 1994 18:18:56 GMT Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 16 Message-ID: <2h43agINNqm0@lynx.unm.edu> References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com> <2h1qf9$7m3@bart.meiko.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: tucumcari.eece.unm.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Mike Stok (mike@meiko.com) wrote: : >I think one example of this is with the eval command, and the quotes are : >backslashes. [...] : > eval "$foo = $bar"; A similar example I have is some code which sucks in bourne shell variables so definitions can be shared between bourne shell and perl scripts. eval("\$$1 = \"$2\"") if /^(\S+)=(\S+)/; This is kinda simplistic, and makes some pretty big assumptions about the format of the variable declarations, but that's ok since I write those too :-) It took several attempts to get that eval right, and I don't doubt there's a Better Way To Do It. neilb Article 9706 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9706 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!psinntp!alsys1!yu1.yu.edu!manaster From: manaster@yu1.yu.edu (Chaim Manaster) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <2570@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> Date: 13 Jan 94 05:08:39 GMT References: <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com> Sender: news@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu Organization: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UCLA Lines: 51 Nntp-Posting-Host: yu1.yu.edu In article <2h1lca$a8f@rome.software.com> mike@software.com (Michael D'Errico) writes: >merlyn@ora.com (Randal L. Schwartz) writes: > >>>>>>> "Chaim" == Chaim Manaster writes: > #>>Chaim> 3) Lots of material on proper quoting in complex situations #>>Chaim> that require multiple quotes to get the expression or regex to work #>>Chaim> correctly. For example a good table of which functions require an #>>Chaim> "extra layer" of quotes and which do not. #> #>>Gosh, I'd like to see an example of what you're talking about here. I #>>never really think of writing code that needs "multiple" or an "extra #>>layer" of quotes. But if this is something that people "learning #>>perl" stumble on, I've got a better place for it than an advanced #>>book. :-) #> #>I think one example of this is with the eval command, and the quotes are #>backslashes. It took a while to understand that there are really two #>levels of interpretation going on when using double quotes. Something #>like #> eval "$foo = $bar"; #> #>is what I (and probably most beginners) thought was the way to have Perl #>set the variable foo to the contents of bar. What I really wanted to do #>is #> eval "\$foo = \$bar"; #> #>but that is not obvious to someone from a C background with little know- #>ledge of shell programming where double quotes are somewhat magical. You #>are right that such things aren't really "advanced" Perl, but the eval #>command is (IMO) an advanced function and with it come some unique quirks #>that could be better explained. This response pretty much sums up the kind of thing I meant. I probably meant that it was advanced with respect to my current state of knowledge about Perl. Nevertheless, I do think it is confusing to many, and a source of error even to some of those more advanced, if they are in a hurry. Sincerely Henry Manaster -- *************************************************************************** Henry Manaster * EMail: manaster@yu1.yu.edu Brooklyn, NY * * Disclaimer: The above is not necessarily MY opinion nor that of anyone else :-) ????! **************************************************************************** Article 9693 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9693 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl From: timbo@ig.co.uk (Tim Bunce) Path: feenix.metronet.com!internet.spss.com!uchinews!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!udel!news.sprintlink.net!dis.demon.co.uk!ig.co.uk!timbo Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> Organisation: Paul Ingram Group, Software Systems, +44 483 424424 Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 18:25:51 +0000 Message-ID: Sender: usenet@demon.co.uk Lines: 27 In article <2567@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> manaster@yu1.yu.edu (Chaim Manaster) writes: > >Two thoughts on some of the materila I would like to see in an >"Advanced Perl" are as follows: > >1) Include material that explains some of the guts of the >language. For example explain how the regex compiler works, the "C" >language interface, and other such "under-the-hood" information >that is certainly interesting (and perhaps even useful:-). >(as against simply a "user manual" some what like a cook-book) > YES PLEASE! One of the design goals of Perl 5 is to be more 'embeddable' A good book on how to do this would make perl the language of choice in many more 'real-world' applications. At the moment such work is only for serious wizards/hackers with time on their hands. I'd certainly pay good money for such a book. >[...] >Sincerely >Henry Manaster Regards, Tim Bunce. Article 9707 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9707 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!psinntp!alsys1!yu1.yu.edu!manaster From: manaster@yu1.yu.edu (Chaim Manaster) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <2571@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> Date: 13 Jan 94 05:26:11 GMT References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> Sender: news@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu Organization: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UCLA Lines: 22 Nntp-Posting-Host: yu1.yu.edu In addition to my previous posting, another topic worthy of more detail and explanation is the question of when something is in an array context versus a scalar context. I realize that to the experts out there, this too is not an "advanced" topic, but it sure causes an awful lot of errors even for those who should (and in a saner moment do) know better. Sincerely Henry Manaster -- *************************************************************************** Henry Manaster * EMail: manaster@yu1.yu.edu Brooklyn, NY * * Disclaimer: The above is not necessarily MY opinion nor that of anyone else :-) ????! **************************************************************************** Article 9730 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9730 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!news.sprintlink.net!news.world.net!news.teleport.com!desiree!merlyn From: merlyn@ora.com (Randal L. Schwartz) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 13 Jan 1994 23:21:43 GMT Organization: Stonehenge Consulting Services; Portland, Oregon, USA Lines: 23 Message-ID: References: <1994Jan10.234354.23879@aqm.com> <2571@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: kelly.teleport.com In-reply-to: manaster@yu1.yu.edu's message of 13 Jan 94 05:26:11 GMT >>>>> "Chaim" == Chaim Manaster writes: Chaim> In addition to my previous posting, another topic worthy of more Chaim> detail and explanation is the question of when something is in an Chaim> array context versus a scalar context. I do hammer on this quite a bit in "Learning Perl". Did you find the description there lacking? Chaim> I realize that to the experts out there, this too is not an Chaim> "advanced" topic, but it sure causes an awful lot of errors Chaim> even for those who should (and in a saner moment do) know Chaim> better. No, it's not a very advanced topic. It's even the source of some of my stranger JAPHs. :-) print "Just another Perl hacker," # in a hurry again... sigh. -- Name: Randal L. Schwartz / Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095 Keywords: Perl training, UNIX[tm] consulting, video production, skiing, flying Email: Snail/FAX: (Call) aka: Phrase: "Welcome to Portland, Oregon ... home of the California Raisins!" Article 9659 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9659 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!umn.edu!lynx.unm.edu!lacerta.unm.edu!gseven From: gseven@lacerta.unm.edu (Roy "Gary Seven" Corey) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 12 Jan 1994 20:24:44 GMT Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 19 Distribution: world Message-ID: <2h1macINN9to@lynx.unm.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: lacerta.unm.edu Keywords: Index, Index, Index I know this was requested as E-mail followup but I wanted to see if any one else could add to this. What I'd like too see is: ------------------- Indexes (is that the plural?) lots of 'em. If I can find out where to look for information faster I'm happier. The old -everything in one alphabetical list- has some limits (but it's better than nothing). An index of tables, of examples (not just the definition example), of sample programs, of dangerous things that people do, of Larry Walls favorite movies... Well, allright, but you get the idea. Multiple ways of accessing things will help out a great deal in my opinion. ------------------- -- Live from unm.edu Roy "gseven" Corey "Communication is the staple of an advanced society" Article 9699 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9699 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!uunet!caen!usenet.cis.ufl.edu!usenet.ufl.edu!travis.csd.harris.com!amber!tom From: tom@ssd.csd.harris.com (Tom Horsley) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 13 Jan 1994 13:19:39 GMT Organization: Harris Computer Systems Division Lines: 17 Distribution: world Message-ID: References: <2h1macINN9to@lynx.unm.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: amber.ssd.csd.harris.com In-reply-to: gseven@lacerta.unm.edu's message of 12 Jan 1994 20:24:44 GMT This is a publishing issue, not a content issue, but I think the most valuable attribute of any reference work is the ability to dynamically search it for information. This works really well in online documentation (published on a cdrom for instance) and it doesn't work well at all for collections of pieces of paper. So my suggestion is to publish it on cdrom with reasonable viewer software (which immediately brings up the problem of lack of standards, Sun has their standard, Microsoft has their's, etc.). -- ====================================================================== domain: tahorsley@csd.harris.com USMail: Tom Horsley +=============================================+511 Kingbird Circle Don't have awk? Use this simple sh emulation: |Delray Beach, FL 33444 #!/bin/sh +======================+ echo 'Awk bailing out!' exit 2 Article 9702 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9702 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!noc.near.net!atria.com!argon!scd From: scd@atria.com (Steve Daukas) Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: Sender: news@atria.com Nntp-Posting-Host: 192.88.237.65 Organization: Atria Software, Inc. X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] References: <2h1macINN9to@lynx.unm.edu> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 14:38:52 GMT Lines: 31 Tom Horsley (tom@ssd.csd.harris.com) wrote: : This is a publishing issue, not a content issue, but I think the most : valuable attribute of any reference work is the ability to dynamically : search it for information. This works really well in online documentation : (published on a cdrom for instance) and it doesn't work well at all for : collections of pieces of paper. : So my suggestion is to publish it on cdrom with reasonable viewer software : (which immediately brings up the problem of lack of standards, Sun has : their standard, Microsoft has their's, etc.). What about hypertext? You can run it on Windows from Microsoft, Windows from Sun et. al.... I suppose you could build an index using wais... I guess the real hard-core response would say `write the viewer in perl' ;-) Regards, Steve -- ------------------------------.---------------------------------------------. | Stephen C. Daukas | Internet: scd@atria.com | | Manager, Technical Marketing | stephen@atria.com | | cum Member of Technical Staff| ...!uunet!gw!scd | | Atria Software, Inc. | 72420.2261@compuserve.com | | 24 Prime Park Way | CompuServe: 72420,2261 | | Natick, Ma. USA 01760 | Voice: (508) 650-5145 | |------------------------------+---------------------------------------------| | No rational argument will | Voice: (508) 845-9809 if unreachable above | | have a rational effect on a | Fax: (508) 650-1196 anytime | | man who does not want to | Fax: (508) 845-9809 by prior arrangement | | adopt a rational attitude. | | `------------------------------^---------------------------------------------' Article 9708 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9708 Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!menudo.uh.edu!uuneo.NeoSoft.com!sugar.NeoSoft.COM!not-for-mail From: bhppa@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Broken Hill Proprietary) Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Date: 13 Jan 1994 11:24:49 -0600 Organization: NeoSoft Internet Services +1 713 684 5969 Lines: 23 Message-ID: <2h4051$p62@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> References: <2h1macINN9to@lynx.unm.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: sugar.neosoft.com I really agree with the improved indicies ideas. That is my only real complaint about the Camel book. I also agree about internals. I use perl on Sun4/4.1.3 systems, but I would like to also use it on (gag) MS-DOS to avoid all the silly low-power DOS shell script stuff. I do a lot of calling Tcl/Tk from perl and vice versa (random line noise in two modulation modes :-) ). I have heard of TkPerl, but I haven't much clue how I would put all this together. I have yet to try forking and running perl in async mode. Some kind of good example of that would be helpful. I use perl in a scientific environment. I often write little subroutines for things like ArcCOS that I think should come with the language, but what the heck. Still, it would be nice if there were good examples of fairly optimial code (my subroutines tend to be quick and dirty) for common math routines. Will Morse Article 9750 of comp.lang.perl: Xref: feenix.metronet.com comp.lang.perl:9750 Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl Path: feenix.metronet.com!news.utdallas.edu!corpgate!bnrgate!bnr.co.uk!pipex!warwick!pavo.csi.cam.ac.uk!ajc1 From: ajc1@mail.ast.cam.ac.uk (andrew cooke) Subject: Re: Ideas for Advanced/Practical Perl book Message-ID: <1994Jan14.102427.16452@infodev.cam.ac.uk> Sender: news@infodev.cam.ac.uk (USENET news) Nntp-Posting-Host: cassh.ast.cam.ac.uk Organization: institute of astronomy in cambridge (uk) References: <2h1macINN9to@lynx.unm.edu> <2h4051$p62@sugar.neosoft.com> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 10:24:27 GMT Lines: 14 something i would like to do, and which perl might be suitable for, is splitting large calculations across many machines (SUN) in a network. if this was covered in a manual i would buy it, but i guess it is too specific to SUN and too little to do with perl. (perl would arrange which machine was doing what, the calculations would be in fortran) andrew p.s. does anyone have a good reference for this kind of thing (and it must be SIMPLE!)?