in reply to How to learn Perl efficiently

Hi theroninwins,

I guess trying to learn the correct way to code in perl right from the start may actually hamper your progress. Perl is about getting things done. Start by writing Perl code to do basic things and then move on from there. Along the way, expose yourself to other people's code.

It's a bit like learning how to walk (or learning a language). If a child tries to start walking "correctly" when he first learns to walk, he may never learn how to walk, because he'll be preoccupied with doing it right than actually taking small steps towards walking.

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Re^2: How to learn Perl efficiently
by bradcathey (Prior) on Aug 31, 2004 at 11:38 UTC

    Absolutely. Just start writing code. You'll only truly learn by doing. Just like you can study Italian in a classroom, but until you go to Italy you don't really learn how to use it. Studying Perl from a book will give you the rules, the grammar, the parameters. But it's after you sort through a dozen server error messages to make your code work, that you will really learn a computer language.

    Having said that, I never really learned Perl until I got to the monastery. Why? Because the books may talk about "use strict" but it's importance doesn't really get emphasized until a dozen experienced monks rip into your code and make it an issue. Take it in stride, they are only watching out for you.

    Now, write some code and post it here, we look forward to it.

    Update: Typos


    —Brad
    "Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up." G. K. Chesterton
[reply]

      I'm an opponent of the "just write code" approach, mainly because it's how I got started and now I regret it. I wrote some shagnasty code back in my early days (which as you can probably guess was CGI scripts). I think some of my misguided code came from my CS learning being in its infancy as well.

      That's why I enjoyed learning Java, it wasn't very tolerant of my misgivings. However, that methodology only goes so far. TIMTOWDI is a great concept, but IMHO there is something to be said for learning to do things in the most efficient or maintainable way (not implying Java enforces either of those two concepts, rather learning would enforce those concepts) And for that reason I don't approve (personally) the "just write" approach, but what I call the workbook approach...write programs and keep reading.. don't stop either, let one guide you in the other. Let your programming interest guide your reading and your reading guide your style. *end of ramble*

      Grygonos
[reply]

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