[MacPerl] MacPerl: Power and Ease - Status Report

[Rich Morin <rdm@cfcl.com>]

		    MacPerl: Power and Ease - Status Report
		    =======================================

Grab Some Glory!
================

  Several dozen members of this list now have their names listed on our
  Acknowledgements page (http://www.ptf.com/MacPerl/ptf_book/acks.html)
  and will be mentioned in the Acknowledgements chapter of the published
  book.  Some of these folks are Perl experts; others are newbies.

  They have all taken the time, however, to drop us a line and tell us
  what they think needs to be changed in the book and/or disc.  Please
  join their number; your feedback will help us create a better product!

The Disc
========

  The MacPerl 0.5 disc has been shipping for a few weeks now; reports are
  beginning to come in.  The response has been quite favorable; people
  seem to like the unpacked, indexed CPAN snapshot, the utilities, etc.

  We have received some problem reports as well, which we hope to handle
  in the 1.0 release.  If you have noticed any problems with the 0.5 disc,
  PLEASE send us a note.  We can't fix things we don't know about!

The Book
========

  We have written half a dozen new chapters, completed and/or revised a
  few others, and performed innumerable tweaks on the rest.  Altogether,
  nearly two dozen chapters are now available in both PDF and PostScript
  format.  Ignoring overhead chapters (e.g., Contents), here is a summary
  of the material that is currently available in the Draft Chapters area
  of the MacPerl Pages (http://www.ptf.com/MacPerl/ptf_book/draft.html):

    Chapter Title			Revision	Notes
    =============			========	=====

    Foreword				-		in progress
    Conventions				ABCDE

	Part I - Preparation

    Introduction			ABCDEF
    A Peek Into Programming		ABCDEF
    A Dip Into Data			ABCDEF
    A Step Into Syntax			ABCDEF
    Installation And Overview		ABCDE

	Part II - Learning The Language

    Building Blocks			ABC
    Stacking The Blocks			AB		completed
    Filing The Edges			A		new
    Curious Constructions		-		in progress
    Odd Corners				-		in progress
    What Next?				-		in progress

	Part III - Advanced Topics

    Extensibility And Re-use		ABCDE
    The MacPerl Package			ABC
    The Toolbox Modules			ABC
    Graphics And GUIs			-		in progress
    Data Storage			A		new
    CGI Scripting			AB		revised
    Network Programming			AB		revised
    AppleScript, Etc.			A		new

	Part IV - Reference

    Language				-		in progress
    Special Variables			ABC
    Functions				A   		new
    Docs And Debugging Aids		-		in progress
    MPW Perl				ABC		revised
    Building MacPerl And Extensions	A		new

	Part V - Resources

    Books, Etc.				ABCDEF
    Contact Information			ABCDEF
    Colophon				A		new

A teaser...
===========

  Matthias has sent us an initial draft of his Foreword.  It's still
  in progress, so we can't print any of his text.  We thought, however,
  that you might enjoy his initial quotation:

    I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my
    after tale of misery, for when I would account to myself for the
    birth of that passion which afterwards ruled my destiny I find it
    arise, like a mountain river, from ignoble and almost forgotten
    sources; but, swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent
    which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys.

	Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Rich Morin, Canta Forda Computer Laboratory | Prime Time Freeware - quality
  UNIX consulting, training, and writing    | freeware at affordable prices
  P.O. Box 1488, Pacifica, CA, 94044, USA   | www.ptf.com      info@ptf.com
  rdm@cfcl.com            +1 650-873-7841   | +1 408-433-9662   -0727 (Fax)



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