Perl on Win32
Perl can easily run on Windows and makes for a powerful and free language for programming and scripting there. Complete beginners should probably start by downloading Strawberry Perl and experimenting with it.
Perl code can be written to run perfectly on both Windows and UNIXes, out of the box. Most Perl code written by people who know what they are doing will be like that, and this is the case for most CPAN Perl modules as well.
Resources
Web Sites
Strawberry Perl
Strawberry Perl is an open-source, free-of-charge, and usable, distribution of Perl for Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), which gives you the full power of CPAN on Windows and is highly recommended. As a result, it is now best to avoid ActivePerl, which is proprietary and less usable.
Mailing Lists
ActiveState has a mailing list for Win32 users. Generally, Perl for Win32 questions can be effectively answered in beginners mailing lists as well. However, this mailing list may also prove to be helpful when dealing with Win32-specific Perl extensions.
