Perl book suggestions

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

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Perl book suggestions by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Jan 02, 2004 at 00:24 UTC
I do have "Programming the Perl DBI". It's a nice intro to the DBI (and to data stores without DBI), but not really helpful. When doing databases with Perl, it is much more important to understand the other end of the equation. I started learning on the Perl end, using that book, and was as lost afterwards as I was to begin with. You need to grok relational databases first. Get a book on database design in general. SQL will be introduced along the way and understanding it will come naturally, and at that point DBI will be trivial to figure out. Learning DBI is negligible compared to what it interfaces with, and starting with DBI would be a mistake. Makeshifts last the longest.	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by jeffa (Bishop) on Jan 02, 2004 at 02:34 UTC
The only problem with the DBI book is that it is mostly just a repeat of DBI.pm's POD. I bought it, am glad i bought it, but i rarely use it. Likewise, by the time a good CGI is out, it's already outdated -- these days, everyone seems to be shifting to templates anyways (and the one good looking book on the subject appears to still not be released). I recommend you instead spend your money on either Data Munging with Perl and/or Network Programming with Perl. Even though these two books are a far cry from focusing on CGI and database programming, i strongly feel they are the next step you need to take. If you can only afford one, get the Network book -- there is a lot of good history you may have missed that will help strengthen your foundation. UPDATE: I missed this question: "Is DBI how perl talks to MySQL?" Yes and no. To be just a bit more technical, DBI is how Perl "talks" to a data store, which could be a Relational Database Management System (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) or a plain CSV file, XML file, Berkely database, etc. DBD::mysql is how Perl "talks" to MySQL. jeffa L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L-- -R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B-- H---H---H---H---H---H--- (the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by fredopalus (Friar) on Jan 02, 2004 at 01:22 UTC
I just got Managing and Using MySQL for christmas and found that it's a great introduction to MySQL. In that book is a chapter on example Perl programs for managing MySQL. (There are chapters for other languages, too) Perhaps if you read that book, you could go on to read Programming the Perl DBI.	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by rkg (Hermit) on Jan 02, 2004 at 01:58 UTC
Not a perl book but highly recommended: Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by Popcorn Dave (Abbot) on Jan 02, 2004 at 05:18 UTC
Not a book per se, but have you considered picking up the Perl Bookshelf on CD? It's nice to have all the references at your fingertips on one disc. And I seem to remember that the latest edition is either due to come out shortly or already has. I don't know if it includes the DBI book or not though. There is no emoticon for what I'm feeling now.	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by DigitalKitty (Parson) on Jan 02, 2004 at 08:41 UTC
Hi sulfericacid. In addition to what the other monks have recommended, I would suggest: Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules ISBN: 0596004788 List Price: $34.95 Book review available MySQL: The Definitive Guide to Using, Programming, and Administering MySQL 4, 2nd Edition ISBN: 0735712123 List Price: $49.99 Practical Mod_Perl ISBN: 0596002270 List Price: $49.95 Hope this helps, -Katie.	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by davido (Cardinal) on Jan 02, 2004 at 06:32 UTC
I happen to be enjoying the Programming the Perl DBI book. I'm almost through it now, and have found it quite helpful. However, I must say that it leaves me wanting a book focused primarily on SQL. But that doesn't mitigate the book's usefulness. With a decent understanding of Perl, and a cursory knowledge of SQL, the book quickly brings you up to speed on how to use DBI to communicate with SQL databases. It just doesn't happen to go into real depth on SQL itself, thought it does have a good introductory chapter on the subject. As it happens, one of the authors working on the next edition of the DBI book is a perlmonk. He's also the author of the DBD::Anydata module: Jeff Zucker. From CB discussion with him, I know that he always welcomes CB /msg's or emails with suggestions that might help to improve the next edition. Dave	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by bart (Canon) on Jan 02, 2004 at 12:11 UTC
With your interest focus, which is databases and CGI, I'd take a good look at the following two books. I've only had a quick skim through these books when I was browsing in the bookshops. They definitely looked to me to be among the better computer books. If I was shopping for that kind of books at the time, I think I would have bought them. MySQL and Perl for the web by Paul Dubois, who is the author of the well received Mysql book Writing CGI Applications with Perl by Kevin Meltzer and Brent Michalski From what I gather, these books tend to be well-received, too.	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by sulfericacid (Deacon) on Jan 02, 2004 at 12:03 UTC
Thank you, everyone, for all the book reviews and suggestions. That gives me a lot to think about since I've been leaning towards Programming the Perl DBI for a few months now. I believe I will have to go with jeffa's suggestion and go with Networking Programming with Perl, he's helped me with my scripts for quite some time and he knows pretty well what I need to brush up on. Off to Amazon.com (or maybe Ebay) I go, thanks again for all the suggestions. If I had the money to spare, I'd buy every single book you guys mentioned! "Age is nothing more than an inaccurate number bestowed upon us at birth as just another means for others to judge and classify us" sulfericacid	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by Old_Gray_Bear (Bishop) on Jan 02, 2004 at 18:56 UTC
I concur on "Network Programming in Perl" -- it is a right nifty addition to the library, as is the 'Perl DBI'. You might want to hold out a few months before picking up 'Programming the Perl DBI', I seem to recall a CB conversation that the second edition of the Perl DBI is in the works. They are aiming for this Summer (by PerlCon in July). Take a look at "Open Source Web Developement With LAMP", James Lee and Brent Ware. It's a good introduction to the Art of the Web-Developer, covering a variety of technologies and languages, not just Perl. On the Non-Perl side (a well rounded Geek reads omniverously), Eric Raymond has a neat book just out on the history and philosophy of Unix -- "The Art of Unix Programming". And Andrew Hunt and David Thomas "The Pragmatic Programmer" has a lot to recommend it. (In the 'Why didn't I think of that!!' vein.) I have put both of them on my Must Re-read In Six Months list. ---- I Go Back to Sleep, Now. OGB	[reply]
Re: Perl book suggestions by Ninthwave (Chaplain) on Jan 02, 2004 at 11:21 UTC
I know it is not a book and doesn't go with the gift certificates. But a method I have been using is to get books into my Oreilly's books shelf and if I find I use the book for more than a few months I buy it. On MySQL I recommend MySQL Cookbook and Managing and Using MySQL, 2nd Edition. For Perl side I would suggest using the safari option to get an idea of what you want and what you will use. But than you may notice I am a big O'Reilly fan. ;) "No matter where you go, there you are." BB	[reply]


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