Extending and Embedding Perl explains how to expand the functionality and usefulness of the Perl programming language and how to use Perl from C programs. It begins simply but also covers complex issues using real code examples from the Perl source. *The book discusses how to write interfaces to C libraries (as well as C++ and Fortran libraries). It shows you how to implement Perl callbacks for C libraries, how to pass Perl hashes and arrays between Perl and C, and how to use the Perl Data Language infrastructure to improve the speed of array operations. *Additionally, the book peers under the hood to see how the Perl programming language really works by looking at the interpreter. *The make-up of Perl variables is discussed along with details on how a Perl program is parsed and converted to executable code.