Hello.

This post discusses the differences between Perl and C#. While both languages use semicolons, they differ significantly in object-oriented features, frameworks, semantics, and regular expression handling. C# is strictly object-oriented with a robust framework, while Perl offers more flexibility and built-in regular expressions. The author uses Perl for quick tasks on their Linux server and C# professionally.

The related Wikipedia articles feature in AjaxTagger v1 is temporarily broken due to an update in one of the Yahoo Perl Proxy Scripts for AjaxTagger v2. I plan to fix it soon.

I've just finished creating a proxy script that allows access to the Yahoo Content Analysis API Term Extraction service from any browser, bypassing cross-site scripting issues. It works by taking a POST request, forwarding it to Yahoo, and returning the XML response. The code (Perl) is included in the post, and I've successfully tested it with IE6, IE7, and Firefox. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

This blog post introduces a Perl proxy script that leverages the Yahoo Related Suggestions API. Given a search term, the script queries Yahoo and returns a list of related search terms. This can be used to enhance search functionality by providing users with additional relevant search options. An example is given using the term "Kinlan" and the post links to a previous entry describing a proxy for the main Yahoo search API. The provided code snippet demonstrates how to construct the API call using LWP and CGI, requiring a valid Yahoo App ID.

I'm about to hit 100 posts! I also realized I forgot to post my Perl request forwarding scripts as promised, so I'll do that tonight. I'll also start discussing the issues with my first AJAX application.

This post, part 8 of a series about my first AJAX application, discusses my return to Perl programming after a year of focusing on C# and .Net. I needed to solve cross-domain scripting issues when calling a web service directly from the webpage. My solution involved proxying the request through a Perl script on my server, which also hid my developer tokens. I found Perl's libraries easy to use and effective for this task. Future plans include more Perl scripting to aggregate data from different blogs and web services, leveraging the proxy to combine multiple calls and enhance functionality. I also learned a valuable lesson about using "content()" methods for POST operations instead of the query string.

In my last post about Perl, I forgot to mention my upcoming need for XML processing. Before I start looking at XML parsers, I'd appreciate recommendations for a lightweight Perl XML parser. My requirements include: lightweight, XPath support (potentially), SAX-like reader functionality, DOM support, and the ability to create XML documents (preferably via DOM or similar methods). Email me your suggestions!

My first foray into Ajax was a mixed bag, yielding both valuable lessons and frustrating setbacks. On the plus side, it sparked a deeper understanding of asynchronous coding, cross-browser compatibility (especially between Firefox and IE), and the potential of APIs like Yahoo! and Technorati. It also reignited my interest in Perl and prompted reflection on my blogging practices. However, the application fell short in several areas: it lacked search functionality, didn't reduce bandwidth, had a poor visual design, and wasn't user-friendly or impactful enough to generate feedback or traffic. Moving forward, I'll share my design process and desired improvements, starting with a clear requirements document. I'm eager to learn from this experience and create a more effective application.