Scott Thompson wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> > Behalf Of David Farnum
> > Subject: New
> >
> > Hello I have been using Linux for 1 year and I am just starting
> > Perl. I just want to say that it is great to have a new user mailing
> > list with out fear of looking stupid in the programming world. I have
> > about 4 books on Perl I am reading now and just from what I have learned
> > I can say I love the Perl language
> >
>
> I'm curious. How many of you out there (newbies and oldies alike) would
> suggest reading a book ("Programming Perl," for example...) cover to cover
> to learn a language?
> In my opinion, I've learned more about Perl by examining others' code and
> *referencing* "The Bible" as needed than I ever could have going from cover
> to cover. Mainly because, by getting my hands dirty, I learn what works and
> doesn't based on how *I* think and the way *my* logic works. It also helps
> to see how a particular syntax or module works in the real world as opposed
> to the abstracts that are often presented in books and the like.
> Bear in mind, I'm not knocking the "cover to cover" approach. Whatever
> works best for an individual is the best solution for them. I was just
> wondering, in general, amongst fellow programmers, what has worked best for
> you, and why.
> How is this relevant to the list at large? Maybe we can help, through
> relating our own experiences, give others a sense of which route they should
> take. Some might argue that taking the "reference" route in regards to
> books fosters the "gimme the code, I'll learn it later" attitude that
> sparked off on the list a while back, about which I was rather vocal. But,
> if we're truly here to help others on the road of Perlism, we can only offer
> our insight and not make any assumptions about how it's to be consumed.
>
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I can only say from my experiance it is easier for me to take a new luanguage
step by step, rather then look at some one elses code as a hole and try to
understand everything all at once.
To put it a differnt way I like to understand Scalar Data, Arrays, References,
Conditional Statements, etc.. sepretly. Before looking at a complete script someone
else wrote and trying to understand what is going on all at once. I find books a
great help in giving me the info a little bit at a time.
