1.1. The capabilities of Perl

• Strings and data structures that are unlimited in size, nested to any depth.
• Powerful syntax and built-in functions.
• Extended, built-in support for regular expressions.
• Support for namespaces, classes, and objects.
• Functional Programming capabilities such as closures and continuations.
• CPAN - a comprehensive on-line archive of easily installable and re-usable modules.
• Powerful debugger with optional visual front-ends.
• Runs on almost any platform imaginable.
• Relatively portable and secure code.