Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide

Rating:
Summary: Decent resource for beginners
Review: I got this as a resource to learn a bit about CGI and Perl. I have done some very minor editing and setting up already made scripts, but I wanted to be able to do more.

The book is not as detailed in some areas as I would like, and some very simple, basic details are left out.

However, overall, the book as a resource, is useful and helpful and I do recommend it for that purpose. I also like the examples and pics of how the code is used.

Rating:
Summary: Best Perl/CGI book on the market
Review: I have read several other books in an attempt to learn Perl, but they were either too technical or too boring to even hold my interest. This book is the polar opposite. It is the first Perl manual I've read that actually explains Perl line by line, in a language that even an old dog novice like myself can understand. Instead of filling the pages with line after line of obscure Perl code without the slightest hint of explanation, the code here is explained beautifully. My questions were answered almost before they came to mind. That is why this book was so effective.

I was writing simple cgi's even before finishing the book. This afternoon, I wrote a cgi that takes input from a lengthy form, prints a confirmation/thank you html page to let the user know that their input was received, sends the parsed and formatted form data via email to the receiving party, and generates an include file that automatically updates an online html log that everyone in the company can see and track. Two weeks ago I couldn't have possibly done this. Honestly, I wouldn't even have known where to start.

No, this is not a complete Perl training manual, nor is it meant to be. But if you need to use Perl/CGI on the web to process forms and information, there is no better book on the market. I use it everyday and highly recommend it to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: it is what it says it is
Review: I just completed a class on writing CGI scripts with Perl, and although this was not part of the reading list for the class, nevertheless it's what I used to actually learn what I needed to know. This is NOT a book about learning Perl. It is about writing CGI scripts using Perl. You'll get a decent introduction to Perl syntax and Castro will move you right into applying it to writing CGI scripts, primarily for handling forms. I'm not aware of any other book that gives you exactly what you need (if this is what you're looking for) in such a nice, compact introduction. The "visual" part of the book (the pictures the previous reviewer is lamenting the absence of), is really just simple "screenshot"-like figures showing what Netscape or Explorer would look like given the particular exercise being explained. No, there are no big color pictures in here, but it's really not necessary. Prior knowledge of HTML is recommended, but not absolutely necessary as the author spends some time explaining the HTML syntax behind forms.

Rating:
Summary: I didn't just read this book.
Review: I've implemented almost every piece of code within it! The people who have reviewed this book and given it only a single star, have obviously never used a Perl Interpreter. They said that they couldn't get their scripts to run on Unix. Well, I don't think that is a script problem; it's a programmer problem. What would you do if you had to run a cgi script on a server that doesn't have an interpreter? You have to know your resources before you can use the code.

Speaking of resources, this book provides a firm foundation for understaning Perl and CGI. My company site is a good example of taking this book for all it is worth. PerlShop, a popular, free-ware shopping cart script had lost it's ability to process credit cards or a check until only a couple a months ago; just shortly after I read this book. As a beginning programmer, I was able to have an effect on a system that many people use each day, and I must say; it felt good. The improvements I made, using Elizabeth's book as a guide, have improved a free-ware script, but the changes have also added substantive value to a version of this script that can be purchased. This is real value. It is also a "real"-world solution. I have only "Perl and CGI, a Visual Quick Start Guide" and Elizabeth Castro to thank for my recent achievements, and I recommend her book(s) to anyone interested in expanding their mind.

Best Regards, David Barrett

Rating:
Summary: Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide
Review: If you're seeking to learn how to write scripts, this isn't the book that will teach you. It is a guide only to basically understand Perl and CGI (what certain groups of characters mean, how it basically works). It is a beginner's book, but learn html before you buy it. Early in the book Castro uses terms (w/o any explanations) that only someone familiar with code might understand. The more you know html before reading this book, the better.
Even after reading it, you still won't be able to write a script on your own. You should be able to use others' scripts though. Although there is no CGI/Perl reference/glossary in the book, it is well-organized and most of the language is simple and easy to understand for the average reader. However, if your vocabularly is a little weak, keep a dictionary on hand. The book is certainly something you should have in your library, but don't be misled as to what it provides.

Rating:
Summary: Best PERL/CGI quick-start around
Review: Okay, so you want to learn PERL and CGI and ASP's and C++ and get the whole technical lowdown on complete server- and client-side design. Great. Quit your job, stay home for a year learning it all, and get up a few thousand bucks for some intensive language courses. Or, grab this book and in a couple of days you'll be able to generate some decent scripts that can handle common tasks.

Yes, there are some errors (try writing an Internet book that has none!). If you really wanna be a guru with a language whose design is as dumb and convoluted as PERL's, you'll need half a dozen other manuals just to get started. PERL was designed by a group of engineers to ensure their own job security -- the language is totally unlearnable, even for experienced programmers. At least this book can quickly help you out of some serious CGI-related jams. On that basis, it gets at least 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Very good but get second ed.
Review: This book is in my reference library. Like many other Castro books, her newer versions continue to get better. This book does a very good job of teaching the Perl fundamentals and how to do things with CGI. What it lacks (that the second ed. covers) is a discussion of security related issues among other things. If you're looking for a book that will get your feet wet in Perl, this is for you. The second edition will do a better job. Eventually, you'll want to get O'Reilly's Programming Perl if you plan to go beyond the basics.

Rating:
Summary: Birds Friend or foe
Review: This is a great book for the intermediate to well-seasoned HTML coder who is looking to explore server-side scripting. Experience with regular programming helps to pick up the language even more quickly, although it is certainly not necessary. Having been introduced to the many uses of Perl/CGI after installing and using several scripts like those on the CGI Resource Index (http://www.cgi-resources.com), I was well aware of the practicality of what I was learning (after reading to chapter 3, I began writing Perl with a purpose, using the book only as a reference). I'm now very comfortable with the language, and have moved on to more advanced projects (and, consequently, more advanced resources). I HIGHLY recommend this book, as well as others in the Visual Quickstart series (especially those written by Elizabeth Castro).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent starter; useful reference into intermediate level
Review: This is a great book for the intermediate to well-seasoned HTML coder who is looking to explore server-side scripting. Experience with regular programming helps to pick up the language even more quickly, although it is certainly not necessary. Having been introduced to the many uses of Perl/CGI after installing and using several scripts like those on the CGI Resource Index (http://www.cgi-resources.com), I was well aware of the practicality of what I was learning (after reading to chapter 3, I began writing Perl with a purpose, using the book only as a reference). I'm now very comfortable with the language, and have moved on to more advanced projects (and, consequently, more advanced resources). I HIGHLY recommend this book, as well as others in the Visual Quickstart series (especially those written by Elizabeth Castro).

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this book.
Review: Work in Windows or Mac? Want to find out how to do something with Perl and CGI on your computer under Windows or Mac? Excellent starter reference book. Ms. Castro tells you where to get the free programs you must have to do Perl and CGI on your own desktop before you try publishing on the Web.

Once you've gone through this book you'll need more (I've bought from Amazon: CGI Programming 101 {Jacqueline Hamilton} and Learning Perl {Schwartz and Phoenix}) but Castro's book will enable you to get set up, become familiar with Perl and CGI basics, and be ready to move on.