Overadecadeago(nearlyeternityinInternetTime),RandalSchwartzwrotethefirsteditionofLearningPerl.Intheinterveningyears,Perlitselfhasgrownsubstantiallyfroma"cool"scriptinglanguageusedprimarilybyUnixsystemadministratorstoarobustobject-orientedprogramming(OOP)languagethatrunsonpracticallyeverycomputingplatformknowntomankind.Throughoutitsfoureditions,LearningPerlremainedthesamesize(about300pages)andcontinuedtocovermuchofthesamematerialtoremaincompactandaccessibletothebeginningprogrammer.ButthereismuchmoretolearnaboutPerlnowthanwhenthatfirstbookwaswritten.RandalcalledthefirsteditionofthisbookLearningPerlObjects,References,andModules,andnowit'sIntermediatePerl,butweliketothinkofitasjustLearningMorePerl.[*]ThisisthebookthatpicksupwhereLearningPerlleavesoff.WeshowyouhowtousePerltowritelargerprograms.[*]Don'taskwhyitisn'tcalledthat.Wemusthavehad300emailsonthesubject.Okay,ask,sinceweknowyou'regoingtoanyway.YouneverreallystoplearningPerl,soLearningMorePerldoesn'treallytellyoumuchaboutthebook.Oureditorchosethename,whichtellsyouwhattoexpect.AsinLearningPerl,wedesignedeachchaptertobesmallenoughtoreadinjustanhourorso.Eachchapterendswithaseriesofexercisestohelpyoupracticewhatyou'vejustlearned,andtheanswersareintheappendixforyourreference.AndlikeLearningPerl,we'vedevelopedthematerialinthisbookforateachingenvironmentanduseditinthatsetting,includingforourownuseatStonehengeConsultingServices,asweconducton-siteandopen-enrollmenttrainings.Youdon'thavetobeaUnixguru,orevenaUnixuser,tobenefitfromthisbook.Unlessotherwisenoted,everythinginthisbookappliesequallywelltoWindowsActivePerlfromActiveStateandallothermodernimplementationsofPerl.Tous
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