Beginning Programming with Perl
Here are some tools to help introduce computer programming for the first time, especially to young kids with an interest in graphics and gaming.
Unpack the above archive anywhere on your hard disk, or save each link below to a "programming" folder on your hard disk. (Except for the SimpleCanvas.pm file, which must go in perl\site\lib\Tk or in your own programming\Tk directory.)
firstprog.html. A super-short introduction to basic computer programming concepts, using the free and widely-available Perl language. Includes information on obtaining Perl. Read it with Netscape or Internet Explorer.
perlprog.pl. A very easy to use editor for writing and running Perl programs, especially intended for young kids. (The editor itself is written in only 252 lines of Perl, including blank lines and comments.)
SimpleCanvas.html. Documentation for SimpleCanvas.pm, a Perl "module" which lets you easily write interactive graphical programs and arcade-type games. Read the documentation with Netscape or Internet Explorer.
SimpleCanvas.pm. The SimpleCanvas Perl module. After installing Perl and the Tk extension (which comes packaged with many Perl distributions), you should place this file in the perl\site\lib\Tk directory, or in a Tk subdirectory from where your own Perl programs reside.
Perl 5 Desktop Reference. Rex Swain's HTML version. This is a quick reference to most of Perl's features and syntax. It is not a tutorial.
References
The best way to learn the ins and outs of Perl (though not suited to kids) is the O'Reilly book, "Learning Perl", by Randall Schwartz and Tom Christiansen. It is a straightforward and entertaining tutorial.
Beginner's Introduction to Perl - An introduction to Perl programming by Doug Sheppard. Followed by Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.