Re: [MacPerl] Help!!!!!!

[mark@cheers.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning/Muniz Eng.)]

According to kATHY bROOKS:

> OK  I hope this is not a dumb question but, how do I use this program.
> Should I name it  something.pl and then upload it to my directory.  Then at
> the command line in telnet type ./something.pl to execute it.   I am using
> a unix server. Actually I was told it is called linux.  Thanks for the help
> everyone.  
> This is a class project.  Me and another Doctoral student are suppose to
> learn CGI then teach it to our Chair (department) by the end of the
> semester.  I am having a hard time getting started.

Hmmmmmm.....  I would have to say that you have not read
any book or documentation on Perl or MacPerl - have you?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  Ok.  Here are my
responses:

1. Since this is a class project and you are supposed to be
learning how to use Perl, MacPerl, and/or CGI scripting in
general I would suggest running as fast as you can to the
nearest good bookstore and buying the BLUE camel book put
out by O'Reilly & Associates.  Further, when Chris and
Vicki finish their book on MacPerl in April I would
recommend you run to the nearest bookstore and demand they
get it for you.

2. Since this is a forum for MacPerl and not Unix Perl or
IBM Perl, if your question does not have anything to do
with the Macintosh version, then I suggest going to the
newsgroups under comp.lang.  Look for the Perl group and
post your questions there instead of here.  Some people get
a bit ticked off about talking about things which are off
topic.  Like this is.

3. When you go to the Perl group in the newsgroups - first
find out where the Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ is
located.  Get it.  Read it.

4. Use those things which are available to you to their
greatest potential.  In other words - your teachers, your
friends, and your web browser.  Go to Yahoo! and put the
word PERL into the search bracket.  You will be amazed at
just how much information there is available on this
subject.

5. Learn something about the operating system you are
having to work with.  You don't need to know a LOT about it
- just enough so you can be dangerous.  :-)  I (again)
suggest the O'Reilly & Assoc. book on Unix and/or Linux.
They are not the end-all, be-all on Unix and/or Linux, but
they are very good and will help you out quite a bit.

Now I realize that you are probably very busy learning all
sorts of stuff most of which you probably do not care to
learn and which you may never use in your lifetime.
Further, I understand that you are probably tight on time
and do not feel that you have the time to read _yet
another_ book or two.  Believe me when I say I sympathize
with you.  But the BLUE Perl book (I emphasize blue because
there is a purple one which is the old version and I do not
want you to accidentally buy that one) is a very easy read
and actually is quite fun to read.  Larry Wall, Tom
Christenson (sp?), and I forget who else really put a lot
of effort into writing the book and to make it something
you can (and will) pick up and use time after time.  The
Unix book is not quite so good.  Actually, if you rated the
two books from one to ten the Perl book would be ten and
the Unix book would be somewhere around a three.  But
that's just my opinion.  Others differ.

To answer your questions though (after all of that):
1. You use the program by loading it into the computer and
storing it into a file.  If you can't even get this far
STOP.  Do not attempt to ever use something you do not
understand.  Instead, get the books, read the books, and
then go back to this.

(Assuming you DO know how to store the program...)
1a. Make the program executable.  Again - if you do not
know how to do this you better read the book.

(Assuming you DO know how to make the program executable...)
1b. Make the appropriate changes to the program.  Like
change the extension to the file.  (ie: the .txt may need
to be changed to .pl or vice-versa.)

1c. Run the program.

If you do not know how to do any of the above steps, then
you should seek help from your friends, teachers, and a
good book store.  Also - always try to do whatever it is
first before asking for help.  We love to help - but we
love to help those who help themselves.  Also, make sure
your question is directed to the proper group and/or list.
Your questions are really Unix questions.  Not Perl and not
MacPerl.  If you knew a little about Unix you could rename
these files in less than five minutes.  It really _is_ that
easy to do in Unix.  (Just like it really _is_ that easy to
wipe out every file you have on a system under Unix.)  So I
feel that some research on your part is required at this
point.  Especially since this is a class project and I am
assuming that your teacher, like the ones I've had in the
past, really does have your best interest at heart and they
really do want you to do some research (ie: reading) on
this.

Have fun.  Once you've had a chance to read the books (or
at least to skim them) both the program, my instructions
above, and how to do this via Unix should all make sense.
Later.

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