Perl Basics - Quiz Explanation
The correct answers are indicated below, along with text that explains the correct answers.
1.
Perl is:
Please select the best answer.
A.
a compiled language
B.
used only on Unix systems
C.
a cross between a compiler and an interpreter
D.
Another way of spelling Pearl.
The correct answer is C.
Perl is a cross between a compiler and an interpreter. Perl first compiles what it can of the program,storing it internally as a sort of byte code. Then it runs the byte code and any other Perl code that it cannot precompile (like val code) using a run-time interpreter. Versions of Perl exist for Windows and Mac platforms as well as for UNIX.
2.
Perl is especially well suited for:
Please select the best answer.
A.
textual data manipulation
B.
highly complex mathematical applications
C.
writing operating systems
D.
Simulating the film "The Matrix"
The correct answer is A.
While Perl is capable of handling other types of data, it is best at manipulating text.
3.
Perl is available on:
Please select the best answer.
A.
Unix only
B.
Microsoft Windows only
C.
Mac OS only
D.
most popular platforms
The correct answer is D.
Perl was designed for Unix, and there are some parts of the language that just don't work well on other platforms. But there are now ports of Perl for most popular platforms including Macintosh and Windows.
4.
Perl is:
Please select the best answer.
A.
Stronger in managing numeric data than character type
B.
The defacto language of choice for Unix
C.
More than 20 years old
D.
An acronym for Practical Extraction and Report Language
The correct answer is D.
Perl manages character type better than numeric data and is the defacto language of choice for Web programming, not the defacto language for UNIX. Perl was first released in 1986, so it's not 20 years old yet.