Softpanorama (slightly skeptical) Open Source Software Educational Society

May the source be with you, but remember the KISS principle ;-)

Notes: Those pages are written by people for whom English is not a native language. Some amount of grammar and spelling errors should be expected. This is a Spartan WHYFF (We Help You For Free) site. It cannot replace the best teachers and the best books. The site contain some obsolete pages as it develops like a living tree... Some links on older pages are broken. Please try to use Google, Open directory, etc. to find a replacement link (see HOWTO search the WEB for details). We would appreciate if you can mail us a correct link. Search Amazon by keywords:     Open directory Research Index

Softpanorama Perl Bulletin, 2002

prev : index  : next

This is a very limited coverage of Perl news. For a better source of Perl news for 2002 please check  Perl.com

perl.com Object Oriented Exception Handling in Perl [Nov. 14, 2002]

The main goal of this article is to discuss in detail about exception handling in Perl and how to implement it using Error.pm. On our way, we'll be touching upon the advantages of using exception-handling over traditional error-handling mechanisms, exception handling with eval {}, problems with eval {} and the functionalities available in Fatal.pm. But by and large, our focus we'll be on using Error.pm for exception handling.

The Mason Book -- on online book about Mason. IMHO Mason is a very questionable approach to the HTML generation.

perl.com Why I Hate Advocacy [Dec. 12, 2000]

I got mail a couple of days ago from Jasmine Merced-Ownby, who runs the Perl Archive web site. Part of the site had been implemented with PHP, and she was getting letters from people who were concerned that this 'made Perl look bad'.

I guess an implicit admission that Perl might not be the very best tool for every possible job could be construed as making Perl look bad, but it seems like an awfully peculiar response, unless you imagine Perl and PHP engaged in a war from which there can be only one victor, and unless you think that if PHP is good for something, anything at all, then Perl must be bad.

I don't recall that Perl has ever been advertised as the One Tool for Every Job. Perl came into a world full of other tools and made a name for itself as a 'glue language' that can help a lot of other tools inter-operate. Perl fills in the spaces between the other tools. That alone is impressive and useful. In the past ten years, more and more, Perl has worked well in place of the other tools; that's even better. But Perl's motto is ``There's More Than One Way To Do It'', and sometimes that means that one of the ways is to use PHP. If PHP comes up a little short for some reason, maybe Perl can fill in the gap. I understand that PHP can call out to a Perl program for help. If that's true, it's not an admission of failure; it's because Rasmus Lerdorf, the author, was smart. Perl can call out to C for help, and that's not an admission of failure either. The best glues can stick to everything.

In my world, PHP can be a good solution, and Perl can be a good solution, because maybe a problem can have more than one good solution. In my world you use what works, and using PHP can't possibly reflect badly on Perl.

A very simple editor for multiple files :-)

$ find . -type f -exec perl -i -pe 's/something/another/g' {} \;

**** DzSoft Perl Editor 5.3 Very decent shareware editor with elements of Integrated environment (IDE). A little bit more expensive that you expect from shareware, but still the price is not bad taking into account the return on investment.  Contains built-in beautifier ! by Sergey Dzyubenko, Alexander Dzyubenko, DzSoft Ltd.

• Fully customizable Syntax Highlighting!
• Run the script and see the result immediately in the internal browser without a web server
• Syntax Check
• Collapsible subroutines
• Customizable code snippets
• Full server simulation
• Full control of the environment variables and input data
• Code Explorer
• HTML export and print with syntax highlighting
• Super comfortable editor with savable bookmarks
• SDI interface that supports multiple instances
• Windows/Unix/Mac line endings support
• OfficeXP-styled menus and toolbars
• "Run in Command Prompt" feature (with debugging)
• Built-in POD viewer with automatic detection
• No need to run a web server on your computer to test the script!
• Multi-line quick insert feature.
• NEW:STDIN support.
• Simple FTP client included to upload and chmod your script.
• SDI interface that supports multiple instances.
• Print feature with Syntax Highlighting.
• Windows/Unix/Mac line endings support.
• Complete Perl Help included to browse offline.
• Windows 2000 100% compatible.
• Script parameters editor.
• Environment Variables Editor.

search.cpan.org John McNamara - Spreadsheet-WriteExcel

About: Spreadsheet::WriteExcel is a Perl module which can be used to create native Excel binary files. Formatted text and numbers can be written to multiple worksheets in a workbook. Formulas and functions are also supported. It is 100% Perl and doesn't require any Windows libraries or a copy of Excel. It will also work on the majority of Unix and Macintosh platforms. Generated files are compatible with Excel 5, 95, 97, 2000 and 2002, and with the Linux/Unix spreadsheet applications OpenOffice and Gnumeric.

Changes: This release includes several minor bugfixes, including a fix to ensure compatibility with Gnumeric. A new method for defining merged ranges has been added.

Simple Expense Manager

File::Scan 0.33 (Development) by Henrique Dias - Tuesday, July 16th 2002 06:08 EDT

Index of -authors-id-H-HD-HDIAS

About: File::Scan allows users to make multiplataform virus scanners which can detect Windows/DOS/Mac viruses. It include a virus scanner and signatures database.

Changes: Two new virus signatures have been added (W32/Duni.worm.b, W32/Plex@MM), and the W32/Frethem.fl@MM signature has been updated.

AutoUpdate

AutoUpdate is a Perl script which performs a task similar to RedHat's up2date or autorpm. It can be used to automatically download and upgrade rpms from different (s)ftp or http(s) sites. Moreover, it can also be used to keep a server with a customized (RedHat) distribution plus all clients up to date. I have tried to write it in such a way that it is not RedHat specific and hence it should work with any other rpm based distribution as well.

Main features/drawbacks:

 

• In contradistinction to up2date, it can be used to upgrade both rpms from RedHat and third party rpms. In addition, only the server will download new rpms, the clients get them from the server (saves bandwidth).
• It will try to handle dependencies (see below) and choose the right architecture (if more than one is available).
• Version comparison is only done by looking at the file name and not by looking at the entire rpm header.
• It is designed to run from a cron job and to keep the output to a minimum (so that your root email is not cluttered up with useless information). In particular, there is no interactive mode or any kind of GUI.

The current version is autoupdate-4.3.1-1 and can obtained from the download page.

NetWORLD Software

visiPerl+ - CNETAsia

From the developer: "visiPerl+ is 'The Ultimate Perl IDE'. Complete with Script testing and debugging, visiPerl+ makes your PERL script writing chores a walk in the park. FTP site management, visiPerl+ remembers everything about your script and automates putting it on your site and setting the permissions for it. The Ultimate PERL IDE. Built-in Web Server, Built-in FTP client, Perl Explorer, Multi-Document Editing. Testing and Debugging of scripts. And much, much more. You gotta see it to believe it!"

PerlLive Home page -- another Perl IDE

Perl Scripting Tool PRO Perl Made Easy  -- We are pleased to Offer PST LE for free. This limited edition of Perl Scripting Tool never expires and gives you access to some of Perl Scripting Tool's most  powerful features.

Links

• Open Perl IDE IDE for Perl with impressive debugging features, and I'm a proud contributor now :-). (Freeware, MPL)
• mPS Perl IDE with Code browser, debugger etc. (free with Delphi Source). Unfortunately the development has been discontinued, what a pity! This Site is closed at all, but I've uploaded it now to my Site (compiled Binaries, 525 KB, and Delphi 5 Source, 308 KB). Note: This Program was not written by me, but from Murad Kakabayev.

ScriptSearch.com Perl-Software

PAGE A Perl-CGI IDE

PAGE is the ideal tool for Rapid Application Development in Perl. It allows you to develop web based or generic Perl applications with very little or no knowledge of the Perl language or other related technologies such as Javascript and HTML. Following are some key features of PAGE:
 

• Form Builder: Develop Web based Forms (such as Login, Guest Book, Feedback form etc.) in an easy-to-use GUI Interface.
• Form Administration: PAGE will also generate administration tools for maintaining web-based forms for you to maintain and manage these web applications (for example log file maintenance for a Guest Book program).
• Code Generation: Have the CGI program, HTML form as well as Javascript validations for Forms all auto-generate without writing a single line of code!
• Auto Deployment: Deploy your web application online directly from the PAGE software without having to individually FTP and configure each module.
• Easy re-configuration: Save applications as Project files and modify them later to quickly develop multiple applications of similar functionality.
• No Programming Required: Develop web-based order forms and administrative utility for businesses without any programming knowledge. (Only available in Standard and Enterprise Edition)
• Syntax Generator: Avoid all the hassle of writing a Perl programs from ground-up by taking advantage of pre-made function and syntax generator.
• E-commerce Projects: Develop web-based shopping cart and administrative utility for businesses without any programming knowledge. (Only available in Enterprise Edition)
• Database Applications: Develop powerful Database applications in a few button clicks! (Only available in Enterprise Edition)
• Network Solutions: Develop networking solutions in Perl without worrying about low level socket code (pre-generated). (Only available in Standard and Enterprise Edition)
• Useful for both programmers and end-users: Ideal for both web developers not interested in programming detail who can use PAGE's friendly GUI interface, and also for expert programmers who can appreciate PAGE's large number of quick code insert functions to help create generic applications from ground-up.

Perl Builder The IDE for Perl

Perl Builder 2.0d is a complete integrated development environment (IDE) for Perl which runs on Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP or later or Linux.

By bringing editing, testing and debugging features together into a single, intuitive environment, Perl Builder makes it easy to develop sophisticated Perl applications right on your desktop. Perl Builder 2.0 also includes a powerful CGI Wizard so that even non-programmers can easily create scripts.

Version 2.0 is a major upgrade with dozens of new features and refinements based directly on feedback from thousands of version 1.0 users.

Note: Perl Builder has been updated to version 2.0d. This is free download for registered users and includes a number of fixes and also some important new features. Unlike most software companies, which charge for any update with new featuers, we have added dozens of new features to Perl Builder 2.0 since its initial release and made them all available as free downloads!

Perl Builder 2.0 is available in two versions: Standard and Professional. A detailed feature comparison is available here.

Perl Builder 2.0 Standard for Windows

Whether you are a programmer or an HTML author/Website designer without a programming background, Perl Builder 2.0 Standard makes it fast and easy to create and test scripts.

Perl Builder's powerful CGI Wizard lets you design form-handling scripts visually. You can create scripts to handle any HTML form, validate user input, save user data to a file on your website, send multiple automatic emails, and then display personalized HTML output to the user--all without writing code!

The Standard version also includes a programmer's editor integrated with a full-featured visual debugger. You can create, debug and test scripts right on your desktop and see the results in your browser--just as if your script were running on the server.

Perl Builder 2.0 Professional for Windows/Linux

Perl Builder 2.0 Professional includes everything in the Standard version, as well as a number of more advanced features geared toward serious Perl developers who place a high value on their time.

Examples include additional productivity enhancements within the editor, features for easily debugging complex/multi-stage scripts, the ability to open and debug multiple scripts within the IDE, and built-in performance timing tools to help optimize your code. The Professional Version also includes support for the Linux platform.

Perl Builder 2.0 includes a number of features geared specifically toward CGI scripts, but the environment fully supports developing Perl applications for any purpose--including interactive system administration scripts, Perl/TK applications, etc.

If you've used Windows programming tools like Visual Basic, Visual C++ or Delphi, Perl Builder's IDE will be familiar to you. If not, you'll find the the visual environment can give you a dramatic productivity boost! 

While Perl Builder runs under Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP or Linux, the  scripts you create may be used on any system which supports Perl (Unix, Windows NT, Mac, etc.).

Download a free trial copy today!

Open Perl IDE

Open Perl IDE is an integrated development environment for writing and debugging Perl scripts with any standard perl distribution under Windows 95/98/NT/2000.

This software is written in Delphi 5 Object Pascal and Perl and it is OpenSource, distributed under Mozilla Public Licence 1.1 and hosted by SourceForge. Please visit our project page to get further information.

Now, take a look at some screenshots, read the User Manual to get a more detailed description of Open Perl IDE or download the latest release (Version 1.0).

The new release 1.0 is the first non-beta version of Open Perl IDE and fixes most of the bugs reported for previous releases. However, some of the changes are much more than simple bugfixes:

• Better syntax coloring by using a new highlighter component.
• Important debugger improvements, including better support for huge arrays.
• Previous instance detection on program start.
• Several minor HelpViewer and Configuration enhancements.

For any information, questions, remarks or bug reports, please send a message to Jürgen Güntherodt.

Perl C-Scope

This is a little simple C code browser written in Perl. The primary intention to develop such a program is to learn the language; actually, this is my first Perl program. Meanwhile, I hope this program can help you in some way, if you are using C or Perl. You are encouraged to improve the program in any way you want, but please remember to keep the copyright information. If you can kindly tell me any bug or something about your revised version, I'll appreciate a lot. Thank you for your support.

C-Scope includes three sources files: cscope.pl, parse.pl, misc.pl. To run C-Scope, you should have a Perl interpreter. You can click here to download Perl software. If you are ready, just type "cscope.pl *.c" to start C-Scope. The user interface is kind of menu-driven so I assume you will know what to do next. By default, C-Scope will run vi for editting. Nevertheless, you can modify the code to have your favorite editor.

hypersrc - a freeware source code browser -- written in Perl.

The Perltidy Home Page by Steven L. Hancock

Perltidy is a Perl script which indents and reformats Perl scripts to make them easier to read. If you write Perl scripts, or spend much time reading them, you will probably find it useful.

WxBrowser - a wxPerl HTML Browser

Gtk+ HTML Tree Viewer

RegexpGraph 0.01

Code Catacombs

FREEPerlCode.com - Hundreds of FREE Perl Scripts with Source Code -- a lot of Perl web scripts

About: File::Scan allows users to make multiplataform virus scanners which can detect Windows/DOS/Mac viruses. It include a virus scanner and signatures database.

Changes: This release adds three more new virus signatures: VBS/Chick.bc@M, W32/Navidad.gen@M, and W32/Ska@M.

Apache::PrettyPerl  An on-the-fly syntax highlighter for Perl files.

Programming Language :: Perl
Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries

Syslog2 is a realtime parser and event handler for syslogd. An event is a message from some service. It uses a simple plugin system to add event handlers. Syslog2 is written in Perl. A plugin is simply a Perl script which invokes the "register_handler" or "unregister_handler" subroutines. By default, the package uses the included script "default.pl", which logs all messages from the syslog daemon in sorted order. More scripts are available from the homepage.

dobackup.pl is a flexible Perl script to handle unattended incremental backups of multiple servers. It handles multiple media sets with automatic media preparation and rotation, configurable 'what-to-backup', global per-host exclusion patterns, and user settable 'don't-back-this-up' metafiles. Its design goal is zero-maintenance, nothing to do except change the media when told. 

Practical Perl Programming by A. D. Marshall 1999.  I nice tutorial 

Login - Speaking HTTP by Oleg Kiselyov: This article demonstrates how to use Perl scripts to speak and respond HTTP directly.

...HTTP is useful in its own right, for example, as a good file-distribution protocol with a number of important advantages over ftp. This article gives an example how to speak HTTP and get understood.

... By definition[1], HTTP is a request/response protocol that exchanges messages in a format similar to that used by Internet mail (MIME). An HTTP transaction is essentially a remote procedure call. It is usually a blocking call, although HTTP/1.1 provides for asynchronous and batch modes. HTTP allows intermediaries (caches, proxies) to cut into the response-reply chain.

An operation to execute remotely is expressed in HTTP as an application of a request method to a resource. Additional parameters, if needed, are communicated via request headers or a request body. The request body may be an arbitrary octet-stream. The HTTP/1.1 standard defines methods GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS, TRACE, and CONNECT. A particular server may accept many others. This extensibility is a rather notable feature of HTTP. The parties can use not only custom methods but custom request and reply headers as well. In addition, a client and a server may exchange meta-information via "name=value" attribute pairs of the standard "Content-Type:" header.

Most of the HTTP transactions performed every day are done behind the scenes by browsers, proxies, robots, and servers. Yet the protocol is so simple that one can easily speak it oneself. The only requirement is a language or tool that is able to manipulate text strings and establish TCP connections. Even a simple telnet application may do in a pinch, which is often useful for debugging. Server-side programming is less demanding: a servlet or a scriptlet does not need to bother with the network connectivity, authentication, access restrictions, SSL, and other similar chores. Server modules or FastCGI give a server-side programmer even more tools: load-balancing, persistence, database connectivity, etc. This article demonstrates how to use Perl scripts to speak and respond HTTP directly.

CodeBase - Perl module for accessing dBASE files

Preventing Cross-site Scripting Attacks Paul Lindner, author of the mod_perl Cookbook, explains how to secure our sites against Cross-Site Scripting attacks using mod_perl and Apache::TaintRequest. [Perl.com]

Finding CGI Scripts Dave Cross explains what to watch out for when choosing CGI scripts to run on your server, and announces a new best-of-breed project for CGI scripting. [Perl.com]

web.oreilly.com -- Confessions of an Accidental Programmer by John Callender, author of Perl for Web Site Management 

• Sample Chapter from the book

Last modified: March 15, 2008