Need Bad Code

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

I'm taking a programming interview soon. I know there will be some Perl debugging. I'm a little bit rusty in Perl--actually, my head is currently filled with C++ instead.

So, I was hoping to find a resource for buggy Perl code. NO! Let me rephrase that...I'm looking for something like the book "How NOT to program in C++" (http://www.bookpool.com/sm/1886411956). I'm fairly certain nothing like that exists for Perl, but maybe there is some web tutorial someone knows about that has some examples to work through?

Maybe there's a Monk out there who feels like creating a few for me...? Or pointing out some on SOPW that were pretty good but straight forward examples? I'll be hunting cool Perl books later tonight, too, so any suggestions are welcome.

And if any of my interviewers are reading this, please ignore the question. 'K? :)

Thanks
jason.

Comment on Need Bad Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Need Bad Code by goibhniu (Hermit) on Nov 15, 2007 at 21:45 UTC
MJD Red Flags series. Here's one, I haven't found where there's an index into all, but it can't be far (or by Google): http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2000/04/raceinfo.html Update: Don't know why this fascinates me so much, but here are some more "not quite what you want but may be helpful" links: http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/courses/27619/errors.html http://www.perlfoundation.org/perl5/index.cgi?mistakes_to_avoid (includes links to other MJD Red Flags articles) I humbly seek wisdom.	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by philcrow (Priest) on Nov 15, 2007 at 20:44 UTC
Peter Scott has a book, Perl Medic:Transforming Legacy Code ISBN 0201795264. I haven't read that one. Phil Update: corrected book's author, thanks to perrin for pointing out the error. The Gantry Web Framework Book is now available.	[reply]
Re^2: Need Bad Code by jplindstrom (Monsignor) on Nov 16, 2007 at 14:02 UTC
I have. Highly recommended! /J	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by Joost (Canon) on Nov 15, 2007 at 23:28 UTC
If you want code that's riddled with red flags, try http://www.scriptarchive.com/ (not linking it because no-one should link to it). "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by ww (Archbishop) on Nov 15, 2007 at 21:54 UTC
Have you considered going through Worst Nodes? Some will be worst for lack of effort; recalcitrant blindness; etc., but I'd bet a nickle that some are there because they contain code with horrendous gaffes.	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by eyepopslikeamosquito (Archbishop) on Nov 16, 2007 at 09:22 UTC
Code doesn't get much worse than this, which I noticed yesterday in a recent merlyn use perl journal. As for books, this was discussed recently in: (Perl) Programming Books like the Camel Book. Update: Just noticed this one in Selected Best Nodes: The joys of bad code.	[reply]
Re^2: Need Bad Code by jhourcle (Prior) on Nov 16, 2007 at 16:04 UTC
`<tongue_in_cheek>` Wow, that is some bad code ... it doesn't properly account for leap seconds `</tongue_in_cheek>`	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: Need Bad Code by mr_mischief (Monsignor) on Nov 22, 2008 at 00:23 UTC
Someone in the comments section of Daily WTF actually said that. I'm not sure it was tongue-in-cheek there.	[reply]
Re^2: Need Bad Code by stonecolddevin (Parson) on Nov 17, 2007 at 16:46 UTC
<office_space voice="samir">that is...terrible, terrible code Peter</office_space> meh.	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by CountZero (Bishop) on Nov 16, 2007 at 07:29 UTC
Doesn't Perl Best Practices have examples of how not to do things? CountZero A program should be light and agile, its subroutines connected like a string of pearls. The spirit and intent of the program should be retained throughout. There should be neither too little or too much, neither needless loops nor useless variables, neither lack of structure nor overwhelming rigidity." - The Tao of Programming, 4.1 - Geoffrey James	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by Anonymous Monk on Nov 16, 2007 at 14:05 UTC
bad code? any of these should do	[reply]
Re^2: Need Bad Code by stonecolddevin (Parson) on Nov 17, 2007 at 16:50 UTC
Haha awesome :-) meh.	[reply]
Re: Need Bad Code by sir_lichtkind (Friar) on Nov 16, 2007 at 18:42 UTC
I now throwing names is bad but i think there is matts script archive. http://www.scriptarchive.com/ But the really bad versions are the old ones. no clue if there still downloadable. my kephra at http://proton-ce.sourceforge.net	[reply]
Re^2: Need Bad Code by jhourcle (Prior) on Nov 16, 2007 at 21:31 UTC
If you want to get the pre-19100 ones, you can always use Archive.org's Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/19970130232033/http://www.worldwidemart.com/scripts/ For those that are lucky enough to not get the 19100 joke, see the following from 'wwwboard.pl' : `$long_date = "$months[$mon] $mday, 19$year at $hour\:$min\:$sec";`	[reply] [d/l]