In this smooth, carefully paced course, leading Perl trainers and a Windows NT practitioner teach you to program in the language that promises to emerge as the scripting language of choice on NT. With a foreword by Larry Wall, the creator of Perl, this book is the "official" guide for both formal (classroom) and informal learning. Based on the "llama book," Learning Perl on Win32 Systems features tips for PC users and new NT-specific examples. Perl for Win32 is a language for easily manipulating text, files, user and group profiles, performance and event logs, and registry entries, and a distribution is available on the Windows NT Resource Kit. Peer-to-peer technical support is now available on the perl.win32.users mailing list. The contents include: An introduction to "the Perl way" for Windows users A quick tutorial stroll through Perl in one lesson Systematic, topic-by-topic coverage of Perl's broad capabilities Innumerable, brief code examples Programming exercises for each topic, with fully worked-out answers Access to NT system functions through Perl Database access with Perl CGI programming with Perl Erik Olson is director of advanced technologies for Axiom Technologies, LC, where he specializes in providing Win32 development solutions. Randal L. Schwartz and Tom Christiansen have also written Programming Perl, co-authored with Larry Wall and published by O'Reilly & Associates.

Table of Contents:
Foreword to the First Edition of Learning Perl. Foreword to the Present Edition. Preface. 1. Introduction History of Perl Purpose of Perl Availability Support Basic Concepts A Stroll Through Perl Exercises. 2. Scalar Data What Is Scalar Data? Numbers Strings Scalar Operators Scalar Variables Scalar Operators and Functions as a Scalar Value Output with print The Undefined Value Exercises. 3. Arrays and List Data What Is a List or Array? Literal Representation Variables Array Operators and Functions Scalar and List Context as an Array Variable Interpolation of Arrays Exercises. 4. Control Structures Statement Blocks The if/unless Statement The while/until Statement The do {} while/until Statement The for Statement The foreach Statement Exercises. 5. Hashes What Is a Hash? Hash Variables Literal Representation of a Hash Hash Functions Hash Slices Exercises. 6. Basic I/O Input from STDIN Input from the Diamond Operator Output to STDOUT Exercises. 7. Regular Expressions Concepts About Regular Expressions Simple Uses of Regular Expressions Patterns More on the Matching Operator Substitutions The split and join Functions Exercises. 8. Functions Defining a User Function Invoking a User Function Return Values Arguments Private Variables in Functions Semiprivate Variables Using local File-Level my( ) Variables Exercises. 9. Miscellaneous Control Structures The last Statement The next Statement The redo Statement Labeled Blocks Expression Modifiers &&, ||, and ?: as Control Structures Exercises. 10. Filehandles and File Tests What Is a Filehandle? Opening and Closing a Filehandle Using Pathnames and Filenames A Slight Diversion: die Using Filehandles The -x File Tests The stat Function Exercises. 11. Formats What Is a Format? Defining a Format Invoking a Format More About the Fieldholders The Top-of-Page Format Changing Defaults for Formats The FileHandle Module Exercises. 12. Directory Access Moving Around the Directory Tree Globbing Directory Handles Opening and Closing a Directory Handle Reading a Directory Handle Exercises. 13. File and Directory Manipulation Removing a File Renaming a File Making and Removing Directories Modifying Permissions Modifying Timestamps Exercises. 14. Process Management Using system and exec Using Backquotes Using Processes as Filehandles Summary of Process Operations Win32::Process Exercises. 15. Other Data Transformation Finding a Substring Extracting and Replacing a Substring Formatting Data with sprintf( ) Advanced Sorting Transliteration Exercises. 16. System Information Getting User and Machine Information Packing and Unpacking Binary Data Getting Network Information The Registry Opening and Reading Registry Values Setting Registry Values Exercises. 17. Database Manipulation DBM Databases and DBM Hashes Opening and Closing DBM Hashes Using a DBM Hash Fixed-Length Random-Access Databases Variable-Length ( Text) Databases Win32 Database Interfaces Exercises. 18. CGI Programming The CGI.pm Module Your CGI Program in Context Simplest CGI Program Passing Parameters via CGI Creating a Guestbook Program Troubleshooting CGI Programs Perl and the Web: Beyond CGI Programming Further Reading Exercises. 19. OLE Automation Introduction to OLE Automation Creating Automation Objects Using Automation Objects Variants Tips and Techniques Exercises. A. Exercise Answers. B. Libraries and Modules. C. Networking Clients. D. Topics We Didn't Mention. Index