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Perl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, and multi-paradigm programming language. It was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987, primarily as a Unix scripting language for easier report processing, and has since evolved into a versatile language used for various applications.

Key characteristics of Perl include:

Interpreted: Perl code is executed by an interpreter, meaning it does not require a separate compilation step into machine code before execution. It is compiled into bytecode, which is then converted into machine instructions during runtime.

Multi-paradigm: Perl supports various programming paradigms, including procedural, object-oriented (OOP), and functional programming, offering flexibility to developers.

Text Processing Power: Renowned for its robust text processing capabilities, particularly with regular expressions and string manipulation, making it highly effective for tasks like data extraction, reporting, and web content generation.

"Glue Language" Capabilities: Often referred to as a "glue language" due to its ability to integrate disparate systems and components, facilitating communication between different interfaces and databases (e.g., MySQL, Oracle).

Versatile Applications: Used across a wide range of domains, including web development (especially CGI scripting), system administration, network programming, bioinformatics, finance, and graphical user interface (GUI) development.

Influences: Borrows features from other languages like C, sh, AWK, and sed, contributing to its rich set of functionalities.

Community and Resources: Benefits from an active global community and extensive resources, including the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN), a vast repository of modules and scripts.