I think it depends on how much experience you have with programming and the
concepts of it as a whole.
If you can already code C/C++/Java/Javascript etc, etc then you can easily
transition to perl by looking at others code and reference texts, as you
suggest.
I came to Perl as after dabbling in Javascript and Visual Basic. I found
this book really useful in learning not just Perl, but better coding
practices in general. It's designed to teach Perl and programming in general
hand in hand.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1884777805/o/qid=992621339/sr=2-1/ref
=aps_sr_b_1_1/102-9078910-5766562
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Thompson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: 15 June 2001 17:10
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Reading versus Referencing Books
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of David Farnum
> Subject: New
>
> Hello I have been using Linux for 1 year and I am just starting
> Perl. I just want to say that it is great to have a new user mailing
> list with out fear of looking stupid in the programming world. I have
> about 4 books on Perl I am reading now and just from what I have learned
> I can say I love the Perl language
>
I'm curious. How many of you out there (newbies and oldies alike)
would
suggest reading a book ("Programming Perl," for example...) cover to cover
to learn a language?
In my opinion, I've learned more about Perl by examining others'
code and
*referencing* "The Bible" as needed than I ever could have going from cover
to cover. Mainly because, by getting my hands dirty, I learn what works and
doesn't based on how *I* think and the way *my* logic works. It also helps
to see how a particular syntax or module works in the real world as opposed
to the abstracts that are often presented in books and the like.
Bear in mind, I'm not knocking the "cover to cover" approach.
Whatever
works best for an individual is the best solution for them. I was just
wondering, in general, amongst fellow programmers, what has worked best for
you, and why.
How is this relevant to the list at large? Maybe we can help,
through
relating our own experiences, give others a sense of which route they should
take. Some might argue that taking the "reference" route in regards to
books fosters the "gimme the code, I'll learn it later" attitude that
sparked off on the list a while back, about which I was rather vocal. But,
if we're truly here to help others on the road of Perlism, we can only offer
our insight and not make any assumptions about how it's to be consumed.
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