This follow-up to Learning Perl [1] has been revised with a second edition that was released last year. These represent the first two books in an O’Reilly trilogy on the Perl language that also includes Mastering Perl [2].

This book assumes the reader has understood and mastered Learning Perl. It opens with a chapter on using modules and a discussion of the comprehensive Perl archive network (CPAN).

The chapters are as one would expect in an advanced text on a programming language, with topics such as “Introduction to References,” “References and Scoping,” “Manipulating Complex Data Structures,” “Subroutine References,” “Filehandle References,” and “Regular Expression References.” The authors then go into more advanced topics, such as “Creating Your Own Perl Distribution” and introductions to objects and testing. The book ends with chapters on “Advanced Testing” and “Contributing to CPAN.”

The book is written with the assumption that a typical Perl programmer who mastered Learning Perl would be able to read each chapter in about 30 minutes. The exercises at the end of each chapter can take another 30 to 60 minutes to complete, except for chapter 2, which is estimated to take 80 minutes. This may scare away a few readers, but if you manage to stay with the book past chapter 2, you will find it worth the effort. However, you really do need to work through the exercises to master the material.

As with Learning Perl, this book contains numerous references to 1960s sitcoms, although this time Gilligan’s Island and Mister Ed replace The Flintstones. I recommend that you watch some reruns from these sitcoms in order to appreciate the humor behind the exercises.

For example, in chapter 7, the various characters in Gilligan’s Island greeting each other illustrate a variety of programming concepts. This sounds fairly simple, but it entails a number of functions and procedures. To understand chapter 7, and most of the other chapters as well, you will want to have a computer running Perl nearby as you read, so you can type in the code and see how it works.

The book is designed as a tutorial. If you read each chapter and then spend the time to work through the exercises at the end, you will acquire a solid advanced understanding of the Perl language.

This is an excellent book for somebody who has read and mastered Learning Perl and wants to continue with more advanced topics.