Textbooks on Perl/Python

[Cameron Laird]

In article <3DC32F83.8990DEC9 at alcyone.com>,
Erik Max Francis  <max at alcyone.com> wrote:
>Jalab wrote:
>
>> Any help in finding a university level textbook on the subject of
>> "Scripting languages" I am mainly looking for a book that covers Perl
>> and Python only as the 2 main scripting languages and that is written
>> for students, i.e. chapter summary, exercises, etc. I hate to force my
>> student to buy and study from two separate books.
>
>I doubt you'll find one that will really cover both subjects adequately,
>since they're totally different languages.  The only thing I can think
>of that comes close is the "little language" books, that give a brief
>summary of a wide variety of "little," high-level languages.  The one
>I'm familiar with (though I don't own it) is _HPL: Little Languages and
>Tools_ by Salus (editor).
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I'm plenty opinionated on this subject.

There isn't such a book as Jalab wants.  It'd be great
fun to write one, but there isn't a market ... well, I'll
just say such a book doesn't exist now.

What's your goal for the students?  To be ready to go out
in industry and solve problems?  To understand the theory
and practice of industrial-strength "scripting languages"?
To pad their résumés?  To safety-proof them so they
don't hurt themselves the first time they're asked to
write a dynamic Web page?  To supplement an academic course
on DSLs?  I know what *I*'d do in each case--and they're
not all the same answer.

I'm all for people buying *Little Languages and Tools*,
incidentally.
-- 

Cameron Laird <Cameron at Lairds.com>
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
Personal:  http://phaseit.net/claird/home.html