[MacPerl] Re: Introduction

[jason white <jason.white@usu.edu>]

I know I'm a little late, but since everyone else on the list posted,
figured it was my turn....:)

>I have just joined this list after succcessfully installing MacPerl on
>my G3 laptop.

Well I'm already jealous ;-)  MacPerl is running on my Power Computing PT
200e (and on my zip disk which goes in G3's up at school ;-)

>My background with Perl:
>=======================
>I've been muddling through teaching myself perl for the past 2 years,
>trying to get help from groups like comp.lang.perl.misc, only to be
>miserably humiliated.

Ouch!  I'm about a two-year Perler too..but it was a professor and MacPerl
that got me hooked.  Same professor that got me started into a lot of the
trouble I'm in now.  He's an Arabic professor and was using PERL to
parse/disect a *year's worth of transliterated Arabic text*.  His PERL
scripts smoked his cohort's VB thingey....by hours!

>I have a UNIX account which I was using to upload and test scripts but
>it has proven too overwhelming for me, since I do not know UNIX much
>more than "l -al" ! ;) Having Macperl locally I hope will aid in
>shutting out the complexity of using a UNIX interface such that I can
>just concentrate on learning Perl.

Will you ultlimately be running on a UNIX server?  If you want to do
PERL/CGI, that's the place. But yes MacPerl should get you off the ground
(instead of pummelling you to it) a little faster.

>I probably have every single book there could be on Perl, save the
>MacPerl book, (that will have to be the next purchase) but they are not
>written clearly and they assume an already working knowledge of
>programming and computer languages overall. And when one is trying to
>solve problems, spending hours trying to find an answer on FAQs,
>newsgroups, etc. is becoming ridiculously frustrating to me. If I could
>FIND the answers that would be a different story, but usually this is
>not the case.

By the time the MacPerl book came out, I was OK enough to just use the
on-line version.  Sorry, Vicky and Chris, but I never did buy it.  Maybe I
still will though,  I've had some hang-ups on cgi's on a Mac server. My
linux machine with Apache/mod_perl/ePerl does wonderful though.

>I am an artist, first, and great Mac diehard, but I want to learn Perl
>desperately (without having to pay a fortune in classes or having some
>arrogant programmer take my money and teach me nothing...) to add to my
>skillset, and therefore be able to bill a higher fee. Besides wanting to
>make a living, I see the future in Perl. (Die, Microsoft die die)

PERL has  bright future (IMHO).  My brother (also a graphic artist, is
trying to do the same thing). Wants to widen his skill set, make himself
more valuable.  He has access to ASP at the ISP he works for.  I'm pushing
PERL on him as well though.  More universal, and well, with your feelings
for Micros~1, I'm sure you understand.

>With one last try I am hoping this list is much friendlier given the
>fact that Mac users are just more decent humans. I am happy to share my
>resources, what little I have, too.

Yeah...we're OK...as long as you RTFM before you post here! Oops....I'm not
posting to my linux group am I?  This is a Mac group. I
mean....uhh...nicer?...uhh...sure we are ;-)

>Does anyone have any comments or advice about that?

1) Get the basic concepts of CGI down first (SAMS has a good book...CGI in
a week or something to that effect. I'm sending it to my brother to help
him get started.  Has good PERL snippets and Mac screen shots to boot. I
skimmed a lot of stuff, but it was well written and taught CGI with a lot
of PERL)

2) figure out your server platform (UNIX/Linux is best for PERL).  There
will be peculiarities and advantages/disadvantages for each.   Try to be
familiar with your trade-offs.

3) Like everyone else said.  One step at a time.  You may beat your head on
something hard a few times, but you will get there.  You may not realize
that 'use DB_FILE' doesn't work but 'use DB_File' since your Mac isn't as
particular as a *nix platfrom would be.

4) Understand that its and investment.  It will take time, but will be to
your benefit.  Saw a job today in the paper for 'freelance CGI/PERL
programmer'.  Throw graphics skills on top and you're feelin' good.

-------------------
Jason White
<Insert Title Here>
jason.white@usu.edu



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