MacPerl book list was Re: [MacPerl] installation (newbie)

[robinmcf@altern.org]

Hi there,

before reading this please be aware that any or all of the sarcasm and
irony in this email is directed at the vast army of "consultants" one finds
laying around the internet these days

cwhelan wrote:
>I run a web site which incorporates a shopping cart.
>This cart was designed in macperl by a consultant and when a visitor
>clicks on the cart, the programme refers back to the consultant's site
>where all database files and shopping cart progs are kept.
>Obviously this slows everything down greatly.
>My consultant is keen to  have me install macperl on my G3 server but
>doesn't know how himself.

One point isn't clear to me, are you talking about the same "consultant",
or  are there two separate people involved? If that's the case then you may
find your shopping cart prog won't work even if you do install MacPerl on
your server, as it sounds like the first guy keeps the real progs on his
server and you just have links to them on your site. The second consultant
isn't much of a consultant if he doesn't know how to install the correct
software on your comp, I hope at least he isn't asking you to pay him for
his services as you will have to do most of the leg work that he is being
consulted upon to do.

>So my question: What do I need to do in order that all the macperl
>scripts can be (altered as needs be and) transferred to my server?

If you do have copies of the CGIs the first guy wrote for you (he is
probably trying to stop you from seeing how they are written by keeping
them on his web site (and possibly trying to bump up his hit rate so he can
show how successful his site is to get some advertising on it somewhere and
become a millionare without ever having to leave his bedroom)) you will
need to know enough about programming perl to understand which parts of the
scripts are rellevant to your server. By the sounds of it your  new
consultant won't have a clue about Mac architecture so you might as well
set aside a year or so, $30-40 dollars ( to buy a good Perl book or books)
and set to it yourself.

There are several books to chose from depending on your knowledge of
programming and what flavour of perl you are ulitmately interested in:

For beginners to intermediate levels:
 "MacPerl Power and Ease" co-authored by our very own list mom Viki and
Rich Morin  - pure Mac, pure perl
"Learning Perl"  Schwartz and Christiansen - general-ish perl

Bored with "Hello world" progs and trying to do something *real*:
"Mastering Alogorithms with Perl"  Orwant, Hietaniemi and MacDonald - title
says it all

Intermediate and beyond:
"Programming Perl"  Schwartz and Christiansen -kind of the pods with more
explanations definitely unixy
"Perl Cookbook" Torkington and Christaiansen - the one to reach for at 3am
after you've tried everything else

Way out there:
"Advanced Perl Programming" Srinivasan - who says you can't build apps for
air traffic control in Perl

Anyone care to add to the list (note I skipped "Mastering Reg EX" cos it
isn't strictly Mac or Perl)?

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