As the complexity of web sites grows, more and more webmasters need to acquire programming skills. Naturally, such persons are inclined to learn Perl, the "language of the web." However, there has been no book to treat Perl as the first programming language; every Perl book assumes that the reader can program already. Until now. Elements of Programming with Perl is a general introduction to programming, using Perl as the implementation language. It starts at the beginning, teaching programming style, structure, and design. It covers all the fundamental elements of Perl (e.g., pattern matching and text processing) and proceeds to advanced concepts, including modular programming, abstract data structures, and object oriented programming. Elements of Programming with Perl contains numerous examples and diagrams that illustrate concepts, algorithms and techniques. Complete example programs show the new programmer how to tie concepts together to solve real-world problems. Elements of Programming with Perl is designed for the new programmer who needs to know Perl, and for the regular Perl user who would like to improve his or her programming skills.