What is Perl?

Perl is an interpreted high-level programming language developed by Larry Wall. According to Larry, he included in Perl all the cool features found in other languages and left out those features that weren't so cool.

Perl has become the premier scripting language of the Web, as most CGI programs are written in Perl. However, Perl is widely used as a rapid prototyping language and a "glue" language that makes it possible for different systems to work well together. Perl is popular with system administrators who use it for an infinite number of automation tasks.

Perl's roots are in UNIX but you will find Perl on a wide range of computing platforms. Because Perl is an interpreted language, Perl programs are highly portable across systems.

Finally, Perl is more than a programming language. It is a part of the Internet culture. It is a very creative way of thinking about almost anything.

If you're technical, start with the documentation to learn more about perl and how to write Perl programs. If you want to get a sense of Perl, start with any of Larry's talks, such as Perl, the first postmodern language.