What If: The Camel or the Cookbook

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Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by Joost (Canon) on Jul 28, 2004 at 22:38 UTC
I read the cookbook a couple of times, but I've been doing without it for years now. I think the Camel book is by far the more useful book, especially since the 3rd edition. The perl books I have and use are: Programming perl, advanced perl programming, mastering algorithms with perl, extending and embedding perl, writing apache modules with perl and C, and object oriented perl. the only one of these I'm not sure about is mastering algorithms with perl. I've found it an occasionally useful book, but there are much better books about algorithms. update: and I think my choice shows that I'm more interested in why than how. "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re^2: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by Your Mother (Archbishop) on Jul 28, 2004 at 23:58 UTC
Ah, yes, I've got a bookshelf sagging in the middle as well. I thought of the question when trying to decide which had helped me more as both had SO much. The Cookbook was instructive just from seeing so much clean, targeted code and the Camel (I agree the 3rd ed is mas bestes) from the range and depth. Have to put a gun to my head to make me choose, I think. The Cookbook might win b/c I learn better from example than explanation; and the joy of sitting down and coding something that works immediately is nice instant feedback. But the further I get, the more interesting the whys become.	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by greenFox (Vicar) on Jul 29, 2004 at 03:24 UTC
Hobson's choice, everything in the Perl Cookbook is (or should be) derivable from Programming Perl. If you are trying to find out why people prefer one book or the other there are better ways to phrase the question. I think I refer to Programming Perl more than the Cookbook but if I had to give up one book or the other I would probably keep the Cookbook because I can access most or all of what's in Programming Perl in the online docs and manual. Fortunately in the real world the constraints of your question can't be satisified :) -- Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought. -Basho	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by YuckFoo (Abbot) on Jul 28, 2004 at 22:54 UTC
I'll just take perldoc. I think this reveals that I am too lazy to walk over to the bookshelf. YuckDoc	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by valdez (Monsignor) on Jul 29, 2004 at 09:05 UTC
In my previous life I used the Cookbook to teach Perl thinking and many novices found that it was an invaluable source of inspiration; but the Camel Book is much better in the long run. Ciao, Valerio	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by inman (Curate) on Jul 29, 2004 at 12:50 UTC
I have both of these books but they sit on the shelf gathering dust. The book that I read from cover to cover was the Llama. Now I follow the discussion and debate in the monastary.	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by CloneArmyCommander (Friar) on Jul 29, 2004 at 18:58 UTC
I have gained most of my skills from Programming Perl. I always keep it ready at my computer, whether I'm working at home or the computer lab at the school :). I've found answers to nearly every problem I've had, with programming in general, in Programming.	[reply]
Re: What If: The Camel or the Cookbook by Velaki (Chaplain) on Jul 31, 2004 at 12:54 UTC
My one, true book, my bible, if you will, has been the Camel. Although the Cookbook is useful, I don't even own a copy of it. We have it on CD at the office, and I have yet to find something in it that I couldn't derive from Camel. Personally, I haven't lifted code from it, although many of the programs I see floating about the place appear to be cut-'n'-paste scripts, with little understanding as to how the individual snippets work. What does choosing Camel mean? It means a desire to build innovatively, not imitatively. Just a thought, -v "Perl. There is no substitute."	[reply]