Learning Perl | O'Reilly Media

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Learning Perl, Fourth Edition By Randal L. Schwartz, Tom Phoenix, brian d foy
July 2005
Pages: 304

| Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter

Chapter 1 Introduction
1. Questions and Answers
2. What Does "Perl" Stand For?
3. How Can I Get Perl?
4. How Do I Make a Perl Program?
5. A Whirlwind Tour of Perl
6. Exercises
Chapter 2 Scalar Data
1. Numbers
2. Strings
3. Perl's Built-in Warnings
4. Scalar Variables
5. Output with print
6. The if Control Structure
7. Getting User Input
8. The chomp Operator
9. The while Control Structure
10. The undefscalar variablesundef Value
11. The definedfunctionsdefined Function
12. Exercises
Chapter 3 Lists and Arrays
1. Accessing Elements of an Array
2. Special Array Indices
3. List Literals
4. List Assignment
5. Interpolating Arrays into Strings
6. The foreach Control Structure
7. Scalar and List Context
8. <STDIN> in List Context
9. Exercises
Chapter 4 Subroutines
1. Defining a Subroutine
2. Invoking a Subroutine
3. Return Values
4. Arguments
5. Private Variables in Subroutines
6. Variable-Length Parameter Lists
7. Notes on Lexical (my) Variables
8. The use strictpragmasuse strict Pragma
9. The returnoperatorsreturn Operator
10. Non-Scalar Return Values
11. Exercises
Chapter 5 Input and Output
1. Input from Standard Input
2. Input from the Diamond Operator
3. The Invocation Arguments
4. Output to Standard Output
5. Formatted Output with printf
6. Filehandles
7. Opening a Filehandle
8. Fatal Errors with die
9. Using Filehandles
10. Reopening a Standard Filehandle
11. Exercises
Chapter 6 Hashes
1. What Is a Hash?
2. Hash Element Access
3. Hash Functions
4. Typical Use of a Hash
5. Exercises
Chapter 7 In the World of Regular Expressions
1. What Are Regular Expressions?
2. Using Simple Patterns
3. Character Classes
4. Exercises
Chapter 8 Matching with Regular Expressions
1. Matches with m//
2. Option Modifiers
3. Anchors
4. The Binding Operator, =~
5. Interpolating into Patterns
6. The Match Variables
7. General Quantifiers
8. Precedence
9. A Pattern Test Program
10. Exercises
Chapter 9 Processing Text with Regular Expressions
1. Substitutions with s///
2. The split Operator
3. The joinfunctionsjoin Function
4. m// inlist contextm// in List Context
5. More Powerful Regular Expressions
6. Exercises
Chapter 10 More Control Structures
1. The unlesscontrol structuresunless Control Structure
2. The untilcontrol structuresuntil Control Structure
3. Expression Modifiers
4. The Naked Block Control Structure
5. The elsif Clause
6. Autoincrement and Autodecrement
7. The forcontrol structuresfor Control Structure
8. Loop Controls
9. Logical Operators
10. Exercise
Chapter 11 File Tests
1. File Test Operators
2. The statfunctionsstat and lstatfunctionslstat Functions
3. The localtimefunctionslocaltime Function
4. Bitwise Operators
5. Using the Special Underscore Filehandle
6. Exercises
Chapter 12 Directory Operations
1. Moving Around the Directory Tree
2. Globbing
3. An Alternate Syntax for Globbing
4. Directory Handles
5. Recursive Directory Listing
6. Manipulating Files and Directories
7. Removing Files
8. Renaming Files
9. Links and Files
10. Making and Removing Directories
11. Modifying Permissions
12. Changing Ownership
13. Changing Timestamps
14. Exercises
Chapter 13 Strings and Sorting
1. Finding a Substring with index
2. Manipulating a Substring with substr
3. Formatting Data with sprintf
4. Advanced Sorting
5. Exercises
Chapter 14 Process Management
1. The system Function
2. The execfunctionsexec Function
3. The Environment Variables
4. Using Backquotes to Capture Output
5. Processes as Filehandles
6. Getting Down and Dirty with fork
7. Sending and Receiving Signals
8. Exercises
Chapter 15 Perl Modules
1. Finding Modules
2. Installing Modules
3. Using Simple Modules
4. Exercise
Chapter 16 Some Advanced Perl Techniques
1. Trapping Errors with eval
2. Picking Items from a List with grep
3. Transforming Items from a List with map
4. Unquoted Hash Keys
5. Slices
6. Exercise

Appendix Exercise Answers
1. Answers to Chapter 2 Exercises
2. Answers to Chapter 3 Exercises
3. Answers to Chapter 4 Exercises
4. Answers to Chapter 5 Exercises
5. Answers to Chapter 6 Exercises
6. Answers to Chapter 7 Exercises
7. Answers to Chapter 8 Exercises
8. Answers to Chapter 9 Exercises
9. Answer to Chapter 10 Exercise
10. Answers to Chapter 11 Exercises
11. Answers to Chapter 12 Exercises
12. Answers to Chapter 13 Exercises
13. Answers to Chapter 14 Exercises
14. Answer to Chapter 15 Exercise
15. Answer to Chapter 16 Exercise
Appendix Beyond the Llama
1. Further Documentation
2. Regular Expressions
3. Packages
4. Extending Perl's Functionality
5. Some Important Modules
6. Pragmas
7. Databases
8. Other Operators and Functions
9. Mathematics
10. Lists and Arrays
11. Bits and Pieces
12. Formats
13. Networking and IPC
14. Security
15. Debugging
16. The Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
17. Command-Line Options
18. Built-in Variables
19. Syntax Extensions
20. References
21. Tied Variables
22. Operator Overloading
23. Dynamic Loading
24. Embedding
25. Converting Other Languages to Perl
26. Converting find Command Lines to Perl
27. Command-Line Options in Your Programs
28. Embedded Documentation
29. More Ways to Open Filehandles
30. Locales and Unicode
31. Threads and Forking
32. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
33. And More . . .
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Return to Learning Perl

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Questions and Answers

What Does "Perl" Stand For?

How Can I Get Perl?

How Do I Make a Perl Program?

A Whirlwind Tour of Perl

Exercises

Chapter 2 Scalar Data

Numbers

Strings

Perl's Built-in Warnings

Scalar Variables

Output with print

The if Control Structure

Getting User Input

The chomp Operator

The while Control Structure

The undefscalar variablesundef Value

The definedfunctionsdefined Function

Exercises

Chapter 3 Lists and Arrays

Accessing Elements of an Array

Special Array Indices

List Literals

List Assignment

Interpolating Arrays into Strings

The foreach Control Structure

Scalar and List Context

<STDIN> in List Context

Exercises

Chapter 4 Subroutines

Defining a Subroutine

Invoking a Subroutine

Return Values

Arguments

Private Variables in Subroutines

Variable-Length Parameter Lists

Notes on Lexical (my) Variables

The use strictpragmasuse strict Pragma

The returnoperatorsreturn Operator

Non-Scalar Return Values

Exercises

Chapter 5 Input and Output

Input from Standard Input

Input from the Diamond Operator

The Invocation Arguments

Output to Standard Output

Formatted Output with printf

Filehandles

Opening a Filehandle

Fatal Errors with die

Using Filehandles

Reopening a Standard Filehandle

Exercises

Chapter 6 Hashes

What Is a Hash?

Hash Element Access

Hash Functions

Typical Use of a Hash

Exercises

Chapter 7 In the World of Regular Expressions

What Are Regular Expressions?

Using Simple Patterns

Character Classes

Exercises

Chapter 8 Matching with Regular Expressions

Matches with m//

Option Modifiers

Anchors

The Binding Operator, =~

Interpolating into Patterns

The Match Variables

General Quantifiers

Precedence

A Pattern Test Program

Exercises

Chapter 9 Processing Text with Regular Expressions

Substitutions with s///

The split Operator