Is there a difference?

enk0d has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Is there a difference? by sauoq (Abbot) on Jun 19, 2003 at 04:13 UTC
Yes, there is a difference between the books. Some are bad, some are good, some are better. You might find some helpful information in the Book Reviews section. For my (unworthy) two cents, I'm with everyone else who says buy an O'Reilly. Get Programming Perl if you have previous programming experience. Get both Learning Perl and Programming Perl if you don't. (I say to buy both because you'll probably outgrow Learning Perl eventually. -sauoq "My two cents aren't worth a dime.";	[reply]
Re: Re: Is there a difference? by allolex (Curate) on Jun 19, 2003 at 07:57 UTC
Also have a look at merlyn's Learning Perl Objects, References & Modules. It seems to take up where Learning Perl left off. They are both available on the Safari Bookshelf at O'Reilly for $10 a month. -- Allolex	[reply]
Re: Is there a difference? by bobn (Chaplain) on Jun 19, 2003 at 04:23 UTC
Also be sure to get Perl Cookbook by Christiansen and Torkington (published by O'Reilly). It's invaluable for getting un-stalled. It's well-named as it gives brief how-tos with good explanations on a large number of common (and maybe less than common) tasks. I've been programming in perl since '98 and I still refer to it. --Bob Niederman, http://bob-n.com	[reply]
Re: Is there a difference? by greywolf (Priest) on Jun 19, 2003 at 04:15 UTC
Take a look at OReilly vs Sams for a bunch of good answers to your question. mr greywolf	[reply]
Re: Is there a difference? by TomDLux (Vicar) on Jun 19, 2003 at 06:16 UTC
I find that any book claiming to teach something ... in 24 hours or ... 21 days or ... for dummies is generally ineffective. Mind you, if you're trying to learn what a variable is, what a loop is, what a function is, "better" texts may be intimidating. -- `TTTATCGGTCGTTATATAGATGTTTGCA`	[reply]
Re: Is there a difference? by arthas (Hermit) on Jun 19, 2003 at 10:06 UTC
I like some O'Reilly books very much: Programming Perl is my favourite, and also Perl Cookbook is useful. I never read Learning Perl, so I can't really tell about that. Michele.	[reply]
WOW! by enk0d (Novice) on Jun 19, 2003 at 11:20 UTC
I never thought i would get so much of a response seeing how i am new here but i am glad that i was able to find this site and i appreciate all the insite you all have presented in front of me and i look forward to contributing to this wonderful community.	[reply]
Re: Is there a difference? by tbone1 (Monsignor) on Jun 19, 2003 at 12:51 UTC
The only O'Reilly book I've been disappointed in, having purchased nearly two dozen, was an old version of "Learning the Korn Shell". And even then, it was useful. To an extent. -- tbone1 Ain't enough 'O's in 'stoopid' to describe that guy. - Dave "the King" Wilson	[reply]


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