Your First Perl Programs with a Focus on String Analysis
Mark D. LeBlanc, Betsey Dexter Dyer · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2007
This chapter quickly moves through the classic starting program and proceeds to the practical fun of using Perl for one of its great strengths — the analysis of strings such as DNA sequences. Perl (Practical Extraction and Reporting Language) was not originally invented for DNA sequence analysis but may as well have been. The parallels are many between the analysis of texts in natural languages and the analysis of DNA strings or sequences. String analysis is the essence of DNA analysis. The chapter cuts the introduction short and presents actual examples. It provides examples for using string operators and built-in operations on strings including length, index, reverse, substring, transliterate, and substitution. Text boxes cover topics such as the amazing Larry Wall, inventor of Perl, and the Perl community. Side boxes include: Larry Wall's suggestions, the number zero, finding the ‘best’ language, and the Perl community.