Elaine Ashton

Last your shortly after the Second Annual ORA Perl Conference I came across a post in the comp.lang.perl.misc newsgroup where someone was enquiring about where they might find the history of Perl. It provoked me to go in search of something that would, indeed, enlighten me and give me some insight to the beginnings and evolution of this special language. I was astounded when I found that there was precious little on the web and in print chronicling the development of Perl or the culture that surrounds it. A few notes later I found myself volunteering to take on the task of documenting the story of Perl.

The source code reveals much about where Perl has been and where it is now but it doesn't document the contribution of the hundreds of people and personalities who have gradually nurtured it along the way. The history of Perl has many layers just as Larry pictures the Perl culture as an onion with like Larry created Perl as a natural language with the intention of it evolving and taking on a life of its own. Aquinas may not have pondered the evil of free will if he had Perl at the time. Perl has a culture that is colorful, eclectic, and interesting. Anyone who has ever wondered the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Perl itself, TPI, TPJ, TPC, P5P, the mongers, and many other facets of the culture may find some of the answers to these questions in this journey through the rings of the Perl onion.

It is knowing where we have been that we find where we wish to go next. A history of this complex language and its culture is far too vast for one person to complete, but it is a beginning to a chronicle that only ends when the last perl coder dies. It is intended that this document be a living one with frequent updates and augmentation.