If you do not like Perl, stop reading this review. Perl is a systems-level hackers’ programming language, kind of like the C language for creating operating systems hacks. In the hands of a Unix guru, Perl is one of those tools people rave about. Everyone else, though, will probably shudder to see the phrase “software engineering” associated with Perl. Given the large number of Perl tools available over the Internet, however, it is probably worth learning about Perl and knowing how to program its basics.

If you use, or want to use, Perl, and are looking for some nice Perl code to add to your toolset, the book delivers. The first part is a general introduction to Perl, mainly an argument on why you should not shudder when you see the phrase “software engineering with Perl.” The second part of the book presents some system tools written in Perl, including a reuse library manager, a source code metric analyzer, and a revision control system for software libraries. One appendix introduces Perl, and the others list the Perl source code to the system tools described earlier in the book.

A diskette that comes with the book contains all of the source code, along with compiled versions of Perl for MS-DOS, Windows NT, and the Macintosh, and a Perl FAQ. This is a straightforward book on Perl and system engineering tools, though a bit expensive for a book that is mostly Perl code, especially since the authors provide Internet ftp addresses where you can freely download the Perl source code and compiled interpreters. This is a pricing dilemma publishers will increasingly face in the Internet era.