Learning Perl/Tk

[milarepa]

Item Description: A Perl/Tk introduction

Review Synopsis:

Learning Perl/Tk (358 pages)

This book covers the basics of Perl/Tk. Includes the most used widgets like buttons, checkbuttons, radiobuttons, labels, text, entry, scrollbar, listbox, frames and top-level widgets, together with their methods. 

The first chapter is about Geometry managers, the samples are quite basic and could be more in depth, specially pack can be quite daunting for the uninitiated.

Basically this book suits more as a quick reference of the main components of the Tk extension.

Honestly for me Learning Perl/Tk is enough if you only want a bit more functionality than using text-based applications with the Term::Cap or Win32::Console modules.

For a more advance scope of the Tk extension Mastering Perl/Tk would be the right choice. It offers much more details specially when you need to create custom widgets, use pipe and sockets, IPC, manipulate images and animations,.and the know-how of the components internals.

Here is the chapters description:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Perl/Tk
Chapter 2: Geometry Management
Chapter 3: The Basoc Button
Chapter 4: Checkbuttons and Radiobuttons
Chapter 5: Label and Entry Widgets
Chapter 6: Scrollbars
Chapter 7: The List Widget
Chapter 8: The Text Widget
Chapter 9: The Canvas Widget
Chapter 10: The Scale Widget
Chapter 11: Menus
Chapter 12: Frames
Chapter 13: Toplevel Widgets
Chapter 14: Binding Events
Chapter 15: Composite Widgets
Chapter 16: Methods for any Widget
Appendix A: Configuring Widgets with configure and cget
Appendix B: Operating System Differences
Appendix C: Fonts
 

[runrig]

Learning Perl/Tk is out of print since it's a subset of Mastering Perl/Tk, and the Mastering book was meant to replace it. You can probably pick up used copies of Learning P/Tk, but get Mastering if possible.

[milarepa]

Thank you for your comment, and you are absolutely right.

However for some people money is an issue. Currently Mastering Perl/Tk is selling for $ 40.45 in Amazon, while you can get a copy of Learning Perl/Tk for $ 4.53. If people just want an introduction to Perl/Tk or just a reference book and they are on a budget Learning Perl/Tk would be good for them.

But you had made a really good point. Let the monks decide what is better for them.

Thanks