+ $fh->setvbuf($buffer_var, _IOLBF, 1024);
+
+ ($readfh, $writefh) = FileHandle::pipe;
+
+ autoflush STDOUT 1;
+
+=head1 DESCRIPTION
+
+NOTE: This class is now a front-end to the IO::* classes.
+
+C<FileHandle::new> creates a C<FileHandle>, which is a reference to a
+newly created symbol (see the C<Symbol> package). If it receives any
+parameters, they are passed to C<FileHandle::open>; if the open fails,
+the C<FileHandle> object is destroyed. Otherwise, it is returned to
+the caller.
+
+C<FileHandle::new_from_fd> creates a C<FileHandle> like C<new> does.
+It requires two parameters, which are passed to C<FileHandle::fdopen>;
+if the fdopen fails, the C<FileHandle> object is destroyed.
+Otherwise, it is returned to the caller.
+
+C<FileHandle::open> accepts one parameter or two. With one parameter,
+it is just a front end for the built-in C<open> function. With two
+parameters, the first parameter is a filename that may include
+whitespace or other special characters, and the second parameter is
+the open mode, optionally followed by a file permission value.
+
+If C<FileHandle::open> receives a Perl mode string (">", "+<", etc.)
+or a POSIX fopen() mode string ("w", "r+", etc.), it uses the basic
+Perl C<open> operator.
+
+If C<FileHandle::open> is given a numeric mode, it passes that mode
+and the optional permissions value to the Perl C<sysopen> operator.
+For convenience, C<FileHandle::import> tries to import the O_XXX
+constants from the Fcntl module. If dynamic loading is not available,
+this may fail, but the rest of FileHandle will still work.
+
+C<FileHandle::fdopen> is like C<open> except that its first parameter
+is not a filename but rather a file handle name, a FileHandle object,
+or a file descriptor number.
+
+If the C functions fgetpos() and fsetpos() are available, then
+C<FileHandle::getpos> returns an opaque value that represents the
+current position of the FileHandle, and C<FileHandle::setpos> uses
+that value to return to a previously visited position.
+
+If the C function setvbuf() is available, then C<FileHandle::setvbuf>
+sets the buffering policy for the FileHandle. The calling sequence
+for the Perl function is the same as its C counterpart, including the
+macros C<_IOFBF>, C<_IOLBF>, and C<_IONBF>, except that the buffer
+parameter specifies a scalar variable to use as a buffer. WARNING: A
+variable used as a buffer by C<FileHandle::setvbuf> must not be
+modified in any way until the FileHandle is closed or until
+C<FileHandle::setvbuf> is called again, or memory corruption may
+result!
+
+See L<perlfunc> for complete descriptions of each of the following
+supported C<FileHandle> methods, which are just front ends for the
+corresponding built-in functions:
+
+ close
+ fileno
+ getc
+ gets
+ eof
+ clearerr
+ seek
+ tell
+
+See L<perlvar> for complete descriptions of each of the following
+supported C<FileHandle> methods:
+
+ autoflush
+ output_field_separator
+ output_record_separator
+ input_record_separator
+ input_line_number
+ format_page_number
+ format_lines_per_page
+ format_lines_left
+ format_name
+ format_top_name
+ format_line_break_characters
+ format_formfeed
+
+Furthermore, for doing normal I/O you might need these:
+
+=over 4
+
+=item $fh->print
+
+See L<perlfunc/print>.
+
+=item $fh->printf
+
+See L<perlfunc/printf>.
+
+=item $fh->getline
+
+This works like <$fh> described in L<perlop/"I/O Operators">
+except that it's more readable and can be safely called in a
+list context but still returns just one line.
+
+=item $fh->getlines
+
+This works like <$fh> when called in a list context to
+read all the remaining lines in a file, except that it's more readable.
+It will also croak() if accidentally called in a scalar context.
+
+=back
+
+There are many other functions available since FileHandle is descended
+from IO::File, IO::Seekable, and IO::Handle. Please see those
+respective pages for documentation on more functions.
+
+=head1 SEE ALSO
+
+The B<IO> extension,
+L<perlfunc>,
+L<perlop/"I/O Operators">.
+
+=cut