2.11 Conclusions

In this chapter, we have discussed Perl’s scalars, operators, and statements. We also have briefly discussed mapping and recursion, two other significant means of exercising control over the execution of a program’s code. The variety of statements available endows a programming language with expressive versatility. Perl is blessed with a wide repertoire of statement types. Not many languages are this fortunate. The options for verbalizing a programming goal in Perl in terms of its constituent statements are many and varied. Thus, the programmer is able to exercise his or her own control, and develop a style or behavior best suited to his or her personality, likes and dislikes, and needs. However, one must be cautioned to keep programming statements clears, concise and efficient. These are conflicting goals, but clarity must receive primacy if programs are to be understood by individuals other than the programmer, easily maintainable, and hence cost-efficient in the long run.
If one wants to know the formal syntax of expressions and statement in various languages, one is encouraged to read books that survey programming languages. Some such good books are [Seb99], [Wat90], [AV97] and [Hor84]. As of now, most books do not discuss Perl though.