Learning Perl

Preface 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 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 undef Value The defined Function Exercises 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 in List Context Exercises 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 strict Pragma The return Operator Non-Scalar Return Values Exercises 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 6. Hashes What Is a Hash? Hash Element Access Hash Functions Typical Use of a Hash Exercises 7. In the World of Regular Expressions What Are Regular Expressions? Using Simple Patterns Character Classes Exercises 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 9. Processing Text with Regular Expressions Substitutions with s/// The split Operator The join Function m// in List Context More Powerful Regular Expressions Exercises 10. More Control Structures The unless Control Structure The until Control Structure Expression Modifiers The Naked Block Control Structure The elsif Clause Autoincrement and Autodecrement The for Control Structure Loop Controls Logical Operators Exercise 11. File Tests File Test Operators The stat and lstat Functions The localtime Function Bitwise Operators Using the Special Underscore Filehandle Exercises 12. Directory Operations Moving Around the Directory Tree Globbing An Alternate Syntax for Globbing Directory Handles Recursive Directory Listing Manipulating Files and Directories Removing Files Renaming Files Links and Files Making and Removing Directories Modifying Permissions Changing Ownership Changing Timestamps Exercises 13. Strings and Sorting Finding a Substring with index Manipulating a Substring with substr Formatting Data with sprintf Advanced Sorting Exercises 14. Process Management The system Function The exec Function The Environment Variables Using Backquotes to Capture Output Processes as Filehandles Getting Down and Dirty with fork Sending and Receiving Signals Exercises 15. Perl Modules Finding Modules Installing Modules Using Simple Modules Exercise 16. Some Advanced Perl Techniques Trapping Errors with eval Picking Items from a List with grep Transforming Items from a List with map Unquoted Hash Keys Slices Exercise A. Exercise Answers B. Beyond the Llama Index