Perl Introduction, CMP 806

Course Description:

The Perl script programming language is in wide use in interactive, commercial, and scientific web sites and in the Bioinformatics industry to analyze, manage, call and display data.  This course introduces Perl programming language basics including string processing, regular expressions, if statements, looping, functions, arrays, subroutines, receiving arguments from the web, and setting and reading cookies.  Students will lean how to develop and execute basic Perl programs on the web.  The course also will cover writing Perl/CGI (Common Gateway Interface) code for storing web-based information on a server database.   This introductory course is useful for web designers and biologists researching Perl-based bioinformatics databases, for example.

Prerequisites:

Programming Fundamentals (CMP 122) or HTML Advanced (CMP 056) or equivalent programming experience. Basic knowledge of HTML/XHTML including web forms is desirable.

Technology update: Please bring a Flash Drive/Memory Stick 512MB or larger to class which will enable you to save your class work.

Textbook:

Books may be purchased at the MC Bookstore or online. You will need to know the CMP#(Continuing Education classes) for the class you are taking in order to look up information about the textbook.

Classroom hours: 15
Course Objectives:

At the end of this course students should:

  1. Understand the basic structure, formats, commands and uses of Perl
  2. Understand the web's Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and how to use it
  3. Write short Perl programs
  4. Know the basics for using and installing Perl and CGI

Outline:

  1. Introduction to Perl Programming and Common Gateway Interface
    1. Downloading and installing Perl
    2. Perl syntax and operation
    3. Creating an initial script;
    4. Printing a line of text.
  2. Scalar Data, Arrays, List Data, Control Structures
    1. Perl Variables and Data Types
    2. Array Operators and Functions
    3. Control Structures
    4. String Processing and Regular Expressions
    5. Creating and manipulating Arrays in Perl
  3. Perl and the Web
    1. Web Forms
    2. Passing parameters via CGI - Name, Value pairs
    3. Web environment - Client-side and server-side computers
    4. CGI Scripting
    5. Form Processing and Business Logic
    6. Create and process a form using a simple Perl script.
  4. Commercial and Scientific Users of Perl
    1. Commercial Perl scripts
      1. Product, price arrays; calculating purchase selections
    2. Scientific Research - Bioinformatics - Introduction
      1. Perl string searches; variables, loops, scalar data;
      2. Pattern Matching and Regular Expressions
  5. Computer Lab
    1. Create a web form; parse, execute, print and return form data using Perl/CGI, or
    2. Create simple Perl string search of a bioinformatics databases.