There are very few Perl books that focus on algorithms and data structures because a lower level language, such as C++, tends to be better suited to that. To illustrate, you rarely write your own linked list or sorting algorithm in Perl; you tend to use built-in language features or CPAN modules for those sorts of tasks. In fact, the only Perl books I can think of that offer much in that regard are:

• Mastering Algorithms with Perl by Hietaniemi, Macdonald, and Orwant
• Higher Order Perl by MJD (an advanced book)

As for general advice on Perl books and how to learn Perl, there is no shortage of advice on those topics at Perl Monks.

• Best Perl Books of All Time
• If I could only own one Perl book, it would be:
• (Perl) Programming Books like the Camel Book
• Which Book
• Book question
• So what is your Perl book "Trilogy" anyway?
• Books to master Perl, LAMP and web development
• Network Programming with Perl Book Recommendation
• What book would be valuable to someone self-taught?
• New Beginning Perl book due out in August
• Suggestions for getting a more solid understanding of Perl

• Learning Fundamentals: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Perl
• Re: Real Life Perl Exercises
• Re: Perl Exercises: For Beginners
• Problems to solve for Perl Beginners
• Small Perl quests for a beginner?
• In need of guidance
• Perl Puzzles
• Additional exercises for "Learning Perl" book?
• Want to be a part of a project
• Bling Bling (or: Teaching Perl to Teenagers)

It's not a Perl book (it dates from before Perl was invented) but I strongly recommend:

Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs, Niklaus Wirth, Prentice Hall, 1976, ISBN 0-13-022418-9

Regards,

John Davies

I think that this is a newer edition of my goto book on algorithms. Unfortunately, I cannot verify it at the moment, since it is sitting on my office shelf at home.

There is also the classic The Art of Computer Programming by Knuth, but that might be a bit heady.

I am not sure if you want info on how to design algorithms and data structures or how to code those design in perl. Other responders have concentrated on the design. For coding details, most of us would benefit from an occasional review of perl's own documentation. Use perl's tool perldoc to read the following pages: perldata, perlref, perlreftut, perldsc, perllol.