Perl Training : Programming in Perl

Programming in Perl - Advanced Topics

Perl Training Overview

This course teaches advanced concepts and capabilities that can be used to write procedures in Perl (V5), especially the new interfaces that use object-oriented features.

Perl Training Objectives

Each student will be able to use Perl techniques and commands to write scripts to perform various user and administrative tasks, implementing advanced features of the language.

Perl Training Prerequisites

Completion of the Programming Perl: Basics/Intermediate course is assumed, or a knowledge of the Perl programming language.

Perl Training Course duration

This course normally requires four (4) days, approximately 50% lecture and 50% lab time.

Perl Training Course outline

Using Perl References

Purpose of references
Querying a reference
Symbolic references
References to functions
- named functions
- anonymous functions
- callbacks
Multi-dimensional arrays
Complex data structures

Using Perl Typeglobs

Perl variables, symbol tables, and scope
Typeglobs compared with references

Perl Modules and Packages

Basic packages
Packages and component files
Initialization and destruction
Accessing the symbol table
Preparing a package for distribution with h2xs

Object Oriented Perl Programming

Objects in Perl
Inheritance
Argument passing mechanisms
Methods of Data Persistance
- FreezeThaw.pm
- Storable.pm
- MLDBM.pm

Perl Scripts for Networking with Sockets

Server-side functions and setup
Client-side functions and setup

Miscellaneous Topics

Installing Perl modules from the CPAN
Adding documentation to a module/program

Launching Tk Applications

Building the Tk extensions within Perl
Writing and executing Tk-Perl scripts

Interfacing Tk Applications with Perl

Tk-extension widget templates
Using Tk-extension widgets within Perl
- Buttons - push,radio,check,menu
Dialogs - dialogbox,text,message
Scrolls - scrollbar,listbox,file browser
Help - balloon and status messages
Undocumented and composite widgets

Overview of Data and Databases

Usage on various types of systems
Historical interfaces
Role of Perl in data acquisition and access

Relational Databases

Methodology
Quick overview of SQL (statements)
Datatypes
Querying data
Creating and destroying tables
Modifying data in tables

The Perl Database Interface Extensions

Obtaining necessary files
Extending Perl with DBI
DBI architecture (within Perl)

Programming the Perl DBI

Handles
Data Source Identifiers
Database connection / disconnection
Error handling
Miscellaneous utility methods
Simple queries
Non-SELECT statements
The do( ) and prepare( ) methods
Attributes and metadata
Transaction locking

CGI Capabilities in Perl Scripts

Interactions between a WebServer and Perl scripts
Variables
- user-defined
- Perl built-ins
- defined by the Web server
Pre-built Perl library parsing functions
Using CGI.pm