Recommend a book

[The Big Glee Bopper]

On Wed, 5 Jun 1996, Linda Hyman wrote:

>  You might want to check out JavaScript though before you go to deeply into
> yucky old PERL.  It allows for manipulation of data as well as other kinds
> of cool stuff on the client side (using Netscape 2.0 and above) versus
> being server driven.  We are teaching ourselves JavaScript using Danny
> Goodman's book.   There is a group of 13 or 14 students, staff and
> professors.  We see the demise of PERL imminent except for special uses.
> As a non-programmer, I took one look at PERL and said "no way."  I am
> finding JavaScript very approachable and with immediate results.  Another
> big plus for JavaScript, it debugs!!  Good luck debugging a PERL script.
> Nuff said.  I would do some research before I put alot of time into PERL.

I can understanding folks _wanting_ perl to disappear but this isn't 
going to happen for a number of reasons. By the end of next year anyone 
who calls them self a webmaster/meister/mistress will know and use: html, 
javascript, java, perl, lingo, and probably visual basic for vb script.

For background cgi-bin processing perl is fast and very good at it's job.
Perl should be known just so you can get a job in the next year.
 
Javascript only works within html and is designed not to read or write
files for security reasons so by default it is an interface tool. 
Javascript is sorta like a really dumb version of hyperTalk.  Possibility
that Netscape offers up javascript as a future extension to html just to
head off Microsoft from doing the same with vb script. 

Java is C++-- as they say which means if you are a novice you are looking
at 10 months before the lightbulb glows. If you know C++ it will glow
sooner and if you already know C you will need a new lightbulb period. 

Lingo is not for the graphic challenged folks which are most folks 
reading this message. Lingo is Director's programming language and the 
lead in to Shockwave which goes way beyond eye candy. If you an artist or 
a nusician or a storyteller or a videographer who wants to make really 
big bucks -- no not dollar bills scanned at 300% on the xerox -- then get 
the student edition for $90, take a week out of your life, read Callery's 
"LEARNING LINGO", and send your resume in to DreamWorks. A little hyperbolic!
If you are graphic challenged and a webster then befriend an artist/musician.

Visual Basic is a sin or a disease which will not go away and will 
re-incarnate as vb script and probably be important I'm sorry to say.

I'd also recommend starting on vrml on the week ends.

Everything mentioned above will be part of updates to the MCPL project in 
ole southern Indiana in a very short period of time. You know what they 
say: the future happens first in southern Indiana and then flows east and 
west to the rest of the US.

--Thom who never met a programming language he didn't love.

p.s. Thom's quick Bib to fame and fortune:

Lingo
Callery. Learning Lingo. Addison-Wesley. 0-201-87043-6

Musciana & Kennedy. HTML, The Definitive Guide.O'Reilly. 1-56592-175-5

Java
Rodley. Writing Java Applets. Corolis. 1-883577-78-0
Lemay & Perkins. Teach yourself Java in 21 Days. SAMS. 1-57521-030-4

Java & Javasript
Manger. Essential Java* 0-07-709292-9

Perl
Brenner & Aoki. Introduction to CGI/Perl. M&T. 1-55851-478-3
Gundavaram. GCI Programming on the World Wide Web. O'Reilly. 1-56592-168-2
Till. Teach yourself Perl in 21 Days. SAMS. 0-672-30586-0

VRML
Smith, Boyd, & Scott. Virtus VRML Toolkit. Hayden. 1-56830-247-9

Design which ties it all together
Sano. Desiging Large-Scale Web Sites. Wiley. 0-471-14276-X
Weinman. <desiging web graphics>. New Riders. 1-56205-532-1