Perl Debugged

Most Perl programmers struggle with debugging, learning the hard way -- and wasting time, money, and energy. In Debugging Perl, two leading Perl developers offer practical techniques that can help you debug Perl code faster and with less frustration, avoid problems in the first place, and optimize every Perl program you write. The authors start by introducing the right mindset for Perl development and debugging: attitudes, beliefs, and behavior that lead to successful code. Next, you'll discover how to avoid problems by "coding defensively" and reducing the complexity of your code. Debugging Perl identifies problems that occur repeatedly in Perl code, showing exactly how to identify and avoid syntax errors, run-time exceptions, semantical errors, resource failures, and the unique problems associated with Perl CGI code. You'll walk through tracing code, and every stage of a rigorous testing process: inspection, unit testing, regression testing, saturation testing, and acceptance testing. The book includes thorough coverage of the Perl debugger, as well as a detailed Appendix presenting debugger commands. For every Perl programmer: new and intermediate-level Perl programmers seeking to save time and money, and advanced Perl programmers seeking to fine-tune their code and mentor others.

Peter Scott makes his living running his own business, teaching Perl, and using it in enterprise infrastructure. Ed Wright is a Software Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.