Perl Interview Questions

• What arguments do you frequently use for the Perl interpreter and what do they mean?
• What does the command ‘use strict’ do and why should you use it?
• What do the symbols $ @ and % mean when prefixing a variable?
• What elements of the Perl language could you use to structure your code to allow for maximum re-use and maximum readability?
• What are the characteristics of a project that is well suited to Perl?
• Why do you program in Perl?
• Explain the difference between my and local.
• Explain the difference between use and require.
• What’s your favorite module and why?
• What is a hash?
• Write a simple (common) regular expression to match an IP address, e-mail address, city-state-zipcode combination.
• What purpose does each of the following serve: -w, strict, -T ?
• What is the difference between for & foreach, exec & system?
• Where do you go for Perl help?
• Name an instance where you used a CPAN module.
• How do you open a file for writing?
• How would you replace a char in string and how do you store the number of replacements?
• When would you not use Perl for a project?

Check out Perl Monks for discussion of the questions and related Perl interview issues. Check RegExpLib for regular expression samples.