The Perl 5 Pocket Reference provides a complete overview of Perl, from variables to input and output, from flow control to regular expressions, from functions to document formats -- all packaged into a convenient, carry-around guide that can easily be inserted into your favorite Perl programming manual.

This new version of the official quick-reference guide to the Perl programming language provides a summary of Perl syntax rules and a complete list of operators, built-in functions, and standard library modules, all with brief descriptions. The guide has been revised for Perl version 5.005 and includes the newest Perl features, like enhanced regular expressions, multithreading, and the Perl compiler.

Perl, having previously established itself as the UNIX scripting tool of choice, is establishing itself as the tool of choice in numerous programming spheres, ranging from the World Wide Web to general-purpose programming. Perl combines in one language virtually all the functionality of the C, sed, and awk programming languages, as well as many functions of a shell.

Perl is also very suitable for embedding in other software systems, such as Web servers. It is available on almost every UNIX system and on a wide range of other systems, including Windows and Macintosh.

The Perl 5 Pocket Reference is the perfect companion to Learning Perl, a carefully paced tutorial course by Randal L. Schwartz, andProgramming Perl, the complete, authoritative reference work coauthored by Perl developer Larry Wall, Tom Christiansen, and Schwartz.