intro.pod6

=begin pod

=TITLE Brief introduction

=SUBTITLE Using Perl 6 official documentation

Documenting a large language like Perl 6 has to balance several contradictory
goals, such as being brief whilst being comprehensive, catering to professional
developers with wide experience whilst also being accessible to newcomers to the
language.

For a quick hands-on introduction, there is a short
L<C<annotated programming example>|/language/101-basics>.

For programmers with experience in other languages, there are a number of
B<Migration> guides that compare and contrast the features of Perl6 with other
languages.

A number of B<Tutorials> cover several areas in which Perl6 is particularly
innovative. The section headers should help navigate the remaining documents.

There are a number of L<C<useful resources>|https://perl6.org/resources> listed
elsewhere on the perl6.org site. These include articles, books, slide
presentations, and videos.

It has been found that newcommers to Perl 6 often ask questions that indicate
assumptions carried over from other programming paradigms. It is suggested that
the following sections in the C<Fundamental topics> section should be reviewed
first.

=begin item
L<C<Signatures>|/type/Signature> - each routine, which includes subroutines and
methods, has a signature. Understanding the information given in the signature
of a C<sub> or C<method> provides a quick way to grasp the operation and effect
of the routine.
=end item

=begin item
L<C<Containers>|/language/containers> - variables, which are like the nouns of
a computer language, are containers in which information is stored. The first
letter in the formal name of a container, such as the '$' of $my-variable, or
'@' of @an-array-of-things, or '%' of %the-scores-in-the-competition, conveys
information about the container. However, Perl6 is more abstract than other
languages about what can be stored in a container. So, for example, a $scalar
container can contain an object that is in fact an array.
=end item

=begin item
L<C<Classes and Roles>|/language/classtut> - Perl 6 is fundamentally based on
objects, which are described in terms of classes and roles. Perl 6, unlike some
languages, does not B<impose> object-oriented programming practices, and useful
programs can be written as if Perl 6 was purely procedural in nature. However,
complex software, such as the Rakudo compiler of Perl 6, is made much simpler
by writing in object-oriented idioms, which is why the Perl 6 documentation is
more easily understood by reviewing what a class is and what a role is. Without
understanding about Classes and Roles, it would be difficult to understand
Types, to which a whole section of the documentation is devoted.
=end item

=begin item
L<C<Traps to Avoid>|/language/traps> - Several common assumptions lead to code
that does not work as the programmer intended. This section identifies some. It
is worth reviewing when something doesn't quite work out.
=end item

=end pod