3.1. Introduction
This chapter is about built in functions. Sort of.
Perl has many built in functions and I wanted to make this chapter all about how to use them. However in some situations there are modules on MetaCPAN which are a better choice because they provide a better user interface or make it harder to poke yourself in the eye.
So while a large part of this chapter is dedicated to the most commonly used built in functions, a significant portion is dedicated to MetaCPAN modules which improve on the basic functionality.
Advantages of built in functions
Perl provides many builtin functions. They are powerful, fast, concise, and are mostly backwards compatible. Also you don't need to choose, install, and manage a module from MetaCPAN. Use of built in functions is widespread so its almost always worth learning how they work.
Disadvantages of some built in functions
Perl syntax is heavily influenced by C and shell languages (among others). Built in functions occasionally expose the underlying implementation. If you are comfortable with C and shell this might be fine. Here are some examples:
- Built in functions don't throw exceptions. Developers need to remember to check for errors.
- Special variables. Sometimes errors are reported via mysteriously named
global variables like
$!,$?,$@, or$^E. - User interface quirks. For example
stat()returns a list of 13 different attributes like uid, size, and ctime which describe a file's state. Getting the attribute you need requires memorizing the array index or looking at the docs.
Alternatives
Again, depending on your preferences and your project, this might be fine. However, for many, its preferable and arguably easier and safer to use more modern or higher level mechanisms. If that's you, consider some of the alternatives on MetaCPAN which solve these problems. In this chapter I'll go over your options so you can choose the solution that's right for you.
Documentation
By the way, the official documentation for all Perl built in functions is available here: