Chapter 1. Modular Programming with Perl
Perl modules are essential to any Perl programmer. They are a great
way to organize code into logical collections of interacting parts.
They collect useful Perl subroutines and provide them to other
programs (and programmers) in an organized and convenient fashion. This chapter begins with a discussion of the reasons for organizing
Perl code into modules. Modules are comparable to subroutines: both
organize Perl code in convenient, reusable
"chunks." Later in this chapter, I'll introduce a small
module, GeneticCode.pm. This example shows how to
create simple modules, and I'll give examples of
programs that use this module. I'll also demonstrate how to find, install, and use
modules taken from the all-important CPAN collection. A familiarity
with searching and using CPAN is an essential skill for Perl
programmers; it will help you avoid lots of unnecessary work. With
CPAN, you can easily find and use code written by excellent
programmers and road-tested by the Perl community. Using proven code
and writing less of your own, you'll save time,
money, and headaches. |