Learning Perl

[mark_wilkins]

I use Perl all the time in my work, but other than learning the general language I'm not sure how you'd really learn to use it in an applicable way outside the context of a larger production pipeline.

For example, at a studio you might have a bunch of libraries that people had developed that gave you access to useful things in Perl, like maybe an interface to query jobs on a render farm, access to a database of some kind, or a library to edit some kind of graphics file.

On your own, you don't have any of that.

HOWEVER, if you do want to learn Perl as a means of developing it as a useful job skill, get a copy of O'Reilly's Learning Perl (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596001320/markwilkinsho-20/) and Programming Perl (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596000278/markwilkinsho-20/) and start writing whatever little scripts you can to do useful things. You'll learn a lot, and you can make a decent case that you know Perl at your next job interview.

-- Mark

[chips__]

hey mark

this is actually based of an interview i just had in london, where they told me that perl would be a welcomed addition to my software knowledge... so i figured i´d learn it :o)

thanks

[mark_wilkins]

Well, Perl's a good skill to have, and we definitely look for it when we hire people at my work. My point was just that doing something special to prepare yourself for using Perl in animation as opposed to developing general Perl skills may not be possible.

-- Mark

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