Newbie question

[chazzy69]

Hi all i very interested in learning pearl, i already know a couple of other languages and i looking to expand my knowledge as it were.

I currently doing a bit of work with websites and programming for in PHP and found that perl looks like a dedicated language for server and website scripts.

What i want to know is can anyone make any recommendations as to wether it is better to just learn pearl on a unix system or is there a free couter-part for windows that is avalible for using that is fairly simple.

Also is it actually possible to compiler pearl programs on own computer before say uploading them to a server for use, say as you would for C, etc or is it a primarly dedicated server type application such a PHP, but which you can write the source code in a text document before putting it online.

Any other help in getting started in learning pearl is greatly appreciated thanks in advanced.

[numberwhun]

Well, first things first. It is actually spelled Perl and not "Pearl". A Pearl is a precious item that women put around their necks in groups.

Next, Perl is not dedicated to just Server and website scripts. Perl is an all-around language that can be used for a multitude of tasks and purposes. The possibilities are endless.

Which operating system you choose is up to you, but personally I recommend Unix as you don't have to worry about Windows specific issues. As for a "free counter part", Perl is always free. Its is distributed under an open source license, thus, you cannot just sell it.

If you are possibly looking at Windows then I recommend Strawberry Perl over Active State, but on Unix, the standard Perl distribution is best.

Regards,

Jeff

[chazzy69]

Thanks for help, sorry about the spelling, i will look into strawberry perl and i will at getting linux for my other computer.

[numberwhun]

Thanks for help, sorry about the spelling, i will look into strawberry perl and i will at getting linux for my other computer.

No problem. Also, this may help you on your quest to learn Perl. If you get stuck, post your code and any errors you get here and we will help you to understand what is wrong and to correct it.

Regards,

Jeff

[KevinADC]

and found that perl looks like a dedicated language for server and website scripts.

That is wrong. Perl can be used on websites as a CGI script or non-cgi script. Perl is a general programming language that has many uses, most of which are not internet related, that is a small part of what perl can be used for,

Perl scripts don't need to be precomplied. They are text documents that get complied by the interpreter when you run them. They can be made into exe files, but that is something i have no experince with.

[jeffjustice]

Perl is quite an easy programming language to begin with. And if you have some previous experience with php, things are getting even easier.Here ou can find some resource places http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl or if you want to get started, follow the beginners tutorial series from DELETED