This is not an official 'State of the Onion' address by Larry Wall so he suggests giving it the number 9.3 to indicate that it occurred somewhere between the usual annual updates. Title aside, however, this is a typical Larry Wall talk, in that it manages to be both about Perl and a whole range of issues that are important to Wall beyond the nuts and bolts of the language.

In his talks, Wall likes to come at his subject from a new angle each time - "rambling with a purpose", he calls it - and in this case he offers an alphabetical look at Perl. The fact that he was preparing the talk in his hotel room just hours before he was due to begin only adds to the spontaneity of his remarks and the seemingly random selection of items he chooses to discuss for each letter from A to Z.

Random or not, however, in keeping with Wall's customary approach to the philosophy of both code and language, the list of words and topics covered manages to convey a personal view that is as often thought-provoking as it is funny.

One example of his train of though will suffice: when he reaches the letter 'e' he mentions early binding, which, in turn, leads Wall on to a discussion of ecological disaster and the need to repopulate the earth. After a beat, he remarks that this leads neatly onto the letter 'f'.