Latest revision |
Your text |
Line 24: |
Line 24: |
| | | |
| ;{{w|Perl}} | | ;{{w|Perl}} |
β | :In Perl, the initial character provides the context of the variable. Scalars (text, numeric and also to references to data) start with the $ character. An @ is for an array. With %, it is a hash (a loose non-sequential array, or 'dictionary' lookup). Functions ''can'' be given a preceding &, but rarely need this in straightforward use. You can use the variables $temp, @temp, %temp and &temp simultaneously and independently. There is also the * (not in a mathematical sense) which identifies a 'glob', a way to fuse or use all those types (and more!) in 'interesting' ways if you have a yen to. | + | :In Perl, variables of simple types, i.e, scalars, and references to items in arrays and hashes, start with $. Arrays start with @. Hashes start with %. |
β | :A block, with {} surrounding some other suitable statement(s), can potentially be typed to (re)interpret the context within. If you have a $reference which currently points to an @array, @{$reference} will let you use it as a direct array. But in simple cases, like that, this can often be shortened to @$reference, as alluded to by the "@$PERL" of the comic. (Just as $$reference would be a valid way to dereference the $reference when it points to $scalar... or even to $anotherReference that itself points to a %hash, in which case you could even use %$$reference for 'direct' access to that. Perl can be complicated, if you let it!)
| |
| | | |
| ;{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}} | | ;{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}} |
Line 31: |
Line 30: |
| | | |
| ;{{w|Google}} | | ;{{w|Google}} |
β | :Once upon a time, Google added a social network called "[[918|Google+]]" (pronounced "Google plus") to its many offerings. On this network, accounts were identified and "mentioned" (linked in a message, and sent a notification) with a + prefix. For example, [[Randall]] was "+Randall Munroe". Google+ has been defunct since 2019, but it was active and growing in 2013 when this comic was posted. | + | :In the beginning, Google was only a search engine. However, it now includes many apps (such as YouTube, Gmail, Microsoft products but Google [e.g. Google docs], etc.), which included a social network called Google+ (now defunct, pronounced "google plus"). Google+ accounts were referenced with a + prefix. |
| | | |
| ;{{w|Twitter}} | | ;{{w|Twitter}} |