X-Git-Url: https://perl5.git.perl.org/perl5.git/blobdiff_plain/3fe9a6f19eb206c685bd7389e54e2838fdfd04b7..e58e581d72ea61ad3f4d1def4e51acef391679fc:/README.win32 diff --git a/README.win32 b/README.win32 index 82c9bac..35c8100 100644 --- a/README.win32 +++ b/README.win32 @@ -4,12 +4,17 @@ specially designed to be readable as is. =head1 NAME -perlwin32 - Perl under WindowsNT [XXX and perhaps under Windows95] +perlwin32 - Perl under Win32 =head1 SYNOPSIS -These are instructions for building Perl under WindowsNT (versions -3.51 or 4.0), using Visual C++. +These are instructions for building Perl under Windows NT (versions +3.51 or 4.0). Currently, this port is reported to build +under Windows95 using the 4DOS shell--the default shell that infests +Windows95 will not work (see below). Note this caveat is only about +B perl. Once built, you should be able to B it on +either Win32 platform (modulo the problems arising from the inferior +command shell). =head1 DESCRIPTION @@ -18,7 +23,7 @@ found in the top-level directory where the Perl distribution was extracted. Make sure you read and understand the terms under which this software is being distributed. -Also make sure you read the L section below for the +Also make sure you read L below for the known limitations of this port. The INSTALL file in the perl top-level has much information that is @@ -26,149 +31,560 @@ only relevant to people building Perl on Unix-like systems. In particular, you can safely ignore any information that talks about "Configure". -You should probably also read the README.os2 file, which gives a -different set of rules to build a Perl that will work on Win32 -platforms. That method will probably enable you to build a more -Unix-compatible perl, but you will also need to download and use -various other support software described in that file. +You may also want to look at two other options for building +a perl that will work on Windows NT: the README.cygwin32 and +README.os2 files, which each give a different set of rules to build +a Perl that will work on Win32 platforms. Those two methods will +probably enable you to build a more Unix-compatible perl, but you +will also need to download and use various other build-time and +run-time support software described in those files. This set of instructions is meant to describe a so-called "native" port of Perl to Win32 platforms. The resulting Perl requires no additional software to run (other than what came with your operating -system). Currently, this port is only capable of using Microsoft's -Visual C++ compiler. The ultimate goal is to support the other major -compilers that can be used on the platforms. +system). Currently, this port is capable of using one of the +following compilers: + + Borland C++ version 5.02 or later + Microsoft Visual C++ version 4.2 or later + Mingw32 with EGCS versions 1.0.2, 1.1 + Mingw32 with GCC version 2.8.1 + +The last two of these are high quality freeware compilers. Support +for them is still experimental. + +This port currently supports MakeMaker (the set of modules that +is used to build extensions to perl). Therefore, you should be +able to build and install most extensions found in the CPAN sites. +See L below for general hints about this. =head2 Setting Up =over 4 -=item * +=item Command Shell -Use the default "cmd" shell that comes with NT. In particular, do -*not* use the 4DOS/NT shell. The Makefile has commands that are not -compatible with that shell. +Use the default "cmd" shell that comes with NT. Some versions of the +popular 4DOS/NT shell have incompatibilities that may cause you trouble. +If the build fails under that shell, try building again with the cmd +shell. The Makefile also has known incompatibilites with the "command.com" +shell that comes with Windows95, so building under Windows95 should +be considered "unsupported". However, there have been reports of successful +build attempts using 4DOS/NT version 6.01 under Windows95, using dmake, but +your mileage may vary. -=item * +The surest way to build it is on WindowsNT, using the cmd shell. -Run the VCVARS32.BAT file usually found somewhere like C:\MSDEV4.2\BIN. -This will set your build environment. +=item Borland C++ -=item * +If you are using the Borland compiler, you will need dmake, a freely +available make that has very nice macro features and parallelability. +(The make that Borland supplies is seriously crippled, and will not +work for MakeMaker builds.) -Depending on how you extracted the distribution, you have to make sure -all the files are writable by you. The easiest way to make sure of -this is to execute: +A port of dmake for win32 platforms is available from: - attrib -R *.* /S + http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gsar/dmake-4.1-win32.zip -from the perl toplevel directory. You don't I to do this if you -used the right tools to extract the files in the standard distribution, -but it doesn't hurt to do so. +Fetch and install dmake somewhere on your path (follow the instructions +in the README.NOW file). -=back +=item Microsoft Visual C++ -=head2 Building and Installation +The NMAKE that comes with Visual C++ will suffice for building. +You will need to run the VCVARS32.BAT file usually found somewhere +like C:\MSDEV4.2\BIN. This will set your build environment. -=over 4 +You can also use dmake to build using Visual C++, provided: +you set OSRELEASE to "microsft" (or whatever the directory name +under which the Visual C dmake configuration lives) in your environment, +and edit win32/config.vc to change "make=nmake" into "make=dmake". The +latter step is only essential if you want to use dmake as your default +make for building extensions using MakeMaker. -=item * +=item Mingw32 with EGCS or GCC -The "win32" directory contains *.mak files for use with the NMAKE that -comes with Visual C++ ver. 4.0 and above. If you wish to build perl -using Visual C++ versions between 2.0 and 4.0, do the following two -additional steps (these steps are not required if you are -using Visual C++ versions 4.0 and above): +ECGS-1.0.2 binaries can be downloaded from: -=over 8 + ftp://ftp.xraylith.wisc.edu/pub/khan/gnu-win32/mingw32/ -=item 1. +GCC-2.8.1 binaries are available from: -Overwrite the *.mak files in the win32 subdirectory with the versions -in the win32\VC-2.0 directory. + http://agnes.dida.physik.uni-essen.de/~janjaap/mingw32/ -=item 2. +You only need either one of those, not both. Both bundles come with +Mingw32 libraries and headers. While both of them work to build perl, +the EGCS binaries are currently favored by the maintainers, since they +come with more up-to-date Mingw32 libraries. -Reset your INCLUDE environment variable to the MSVC include directory. -For example: +Make sure you install the binaries as indicated in the web sites +above. You will need to set up a few environment variables (usually +run from a batch file). - set INCLUDE=E:\MSVC20\INCLUDE +=back -This must have only one directory (a list of directories will not work). -VCVARS32.BAT may put multiple locations in there, which is why this step -is required. +=head2 Building -=back +=over 4 -=item * +=item * Make sure you are in the "win32" subdirectory under the perl toplevel. +This directory contains a "Makefile" that will work with +versions of NMAKE that come with Visual C++, and a dmake "makefile.mk" +that will work for all supported compilers. The defaults in the dmake +makefile are setup to build using the Borland compiler. =item * -Type "nmake" while in the "win32" subdirectory. This should build -everything. Specifically, it will create perl.exe, perl.dll, and -perlglob.exe at the perl toplevel, and various other extension dll's -under the lib\auto directory. If the make fails for any reason, make -sure you have done the previous steps correctly. +Edit the makefile.mk (or Makefile, if using nmake) and change the values +of INST_DRV and INST_TOP. You can also enable various build +flags. + +Beginning with version 5.005, there is experimental support for building +a perl interpreter that supports the Perl Object abstraction (courtesy +ActiveState Tool Corp.) PERL_OBJECT uses C++, and the binaries are +therefore incompatible with the regular C build. However, the +PERL_OBJECT build does provide something called the C-API, for linking +it with extensions that won't compile under PERL_OBJECT. PERL_OBJECT +is not yet supported under GCC or EGCS. WARNING: Binaries built with +PERL_OBJECT enabled are B compatible with binaries built without. +Perl installs PERL_OBJECT binaries under a distinct architecture name, +so they B coexist, though. + +Beginning with version 5.005, there is experimental support for building +a perl interpreter that is capable of native threading. Binaries built +with thread support enabled are also incompatible with the vanilla C +build. WARNING: Binaries built with threads enabled are B compatible +with binaries built without. Perl installs threads enabled binaries under +a distinct architecture name, so they B coexist, though. + +At the present time, you cannot enable both threading and PERL_OBJECT. +You can get only one of them in a Perl interpreter. + +If you have either the source or a library that contains des_fcrypt(), +enable the appropriate option in the makefile. des_fcrypt() is not +bundled with the distribution due to US Government restrictions +on the export of cryptographic software. Nevertheless, this routine +is part of the "libdes" library (written by Ed Young) which is widely +available worldwide, usually along with SSLeay (for example: +"ftp://fractal.mta.ca/pub/crypto/SSLeay/DES/"). Set CRYPT_SRC to the +name of the file that implements des_fcrypt(). Alternatively, if +you have built a library that contains des_fcrypt(), you can set +CRYPT_LIB to point to the library name. The location above contains +many versions of the "libdes" library, all with slightly different +implementations of des_fcrypt(). Older versions have a single, +self-contained file (fcrypt.c) that implements crypt(), so they may be +easier to use. A patch against the fcrypt.c found in libdes-3.06 is +in des_fcrypt.patch. + +Perl will also build without des_fcrypt(), but the crypt() builtin will +fail at run time. + +You will also have to make sure CCHOME points to wherever you installed +your compiler. + +Other options are explained in the makefiles. Be sure to read the +instructions carefully. =item * -Type "nmake install". This will put the newly built perl and the -libraries under C:\PERL. If you want to alter this location, to say, -D:\FOO\PERL, you will have to say: +Type "dmake" (or "nmake" if you are using that make). + +This should build everything. Specifically, it will create perl.exe, +perl.dll (or perlcore.dll), and perlglob.exe at the perl toplevel, and +various other extension dll's under the lib\auto directory. If the build +fails for any reason, make sure you have done the previous steps correctly. - nmake install INST_TOP=D:\FOO\PERL +The build process may produce "harmless" compiler warnings (more or +less copiously, depending on how picky your compiler gets). The +maintainers are aware of these warnings, thankyouverymuch. :) -instead. To use the Perl you just installed, make sure you set your -PATH environment variable to C:\PERL\BIN (or D:\FOO\PERL\BIN). +When building using Visual C++, a perl95.exe will also get built. This +executable is only needed on Windows95, and should be used instead of +perl.exe, and then only if you want sockets to work properly on Windows95. +This is necessitated by a bug in the Microsoft C Runtime that cannot be +worked around in the "normal" perl.exe. perl95.exe gets built with its +own private copy of the C Runtime that is not accessible to extensions +(which see the DLL version of the CRT). Be aware, therefore, that this +perl95.exe will have esoteric problems with extensions like perl/Tk that +themselves use the C Runtime heavily, or want to free() pointers +malloc()-ed by perl. + +You can avoid the perl95.exe problems completely if you use Borland +C++ for building perl (perl95.exe is not needed and will not be built +in that case). =back =head2 Testing -Type "nmake test". This will run most of the tests from the -testsuite (many tests will be skipped, and some tests will fail). -Most failures are due to UNIXisms in the standard perl testsuite. +Type "dmake test" (or "nmake test"). This will run most of the tests from +the testsuite (many tests will be skipped, and but no test should fail). -To get a more detailed breakdown of the tests that failed, say: +If some tests do fail, it may be because you are using a different command +shell than the native "cmd.exe". - cd ..\t - .\perl harness +If you used the Borland compiler, you may see a failure in op/taint.t +arising from the inability to find the Borland Runtime DLLs on the system +default path. You will need to copy the DLLs reported by the messages +from where Borland chose to install it, into the Windows system directory +(usually somewhere like C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32), and rerun the test. -This should produce a summary very similar to the following: +The Visual C runtime apparently has a bug that causes posix.t to fail +test#2. This usually happens only if you extracted the files in text +mode. Enable the USE_PERLCRT option in the Makefile to fix this bug. - Failed Test Status Wstat Total Fail Failed List of failed - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - io/fs.t 26 16 61.54% 1-5, 7-11, 16-18, 23-25 - lib/anydbm.t 12 1 8.33% 2 - lib/findbin.t 1 1 100.00% 1 - lib/sdbm.t 12 1 8.33% 2 - op/magic.t 28 1 3.57% 16 - op/mkdir.t 7 2 28.57% 3, 7 - op/runlevel.t 8 1 12.50% 4 - op/stat.t 56 3 5.36% 2-3, 20 - op/taint.t 98 20 20.41% 1-6, 14, 16, 19-21, 24, 26, 35-3 - pragma/locale.t 98 40 40.82% 1, 13-14, 21-27, 33, 39, 45-53, - Failed 10/149 test scripts, 93.29% okay. 86/3871 subtests failed, 97.78% okay. +Please report any other failures as described under L. +=head2 Installation -Check if any additional tests other than the ones shown here -failed. The standard testsuite will ultimately be modified so -that the testsuite avoids running irrelevant tests on Win32. +Type "dmake install" (or "nmake install"). This will put the newly +built perl and the libraries under whatever C points to in the +Makefile. It will also install the pod documentation under +C<$INST_TOP\$VERSION\lib\pod> and HTML versions of the same under +C<$INST_TOP\$VERSION\lib\pod\html>. To use the Perl you just installed, +you will need to add two components to your PATH environment variable, +C<$INST_TOP\$VERSION\bin>, and C<$INST_TOP\$VERSION\bin\$ARCHNAME>. +For example: -=head1 BUGS AND CAVEATS + set PATH c:\perl\5.005\bin;c:\perl\5.005\bin\MSWin32-x6;%PATH% + + +=head2 Usage Hints + +=over 4 + +=item Environment Variables + +The installation paths that you set during the build get compiled +into perl, so you don't have to do anything additional to start +using that perl (except add its location to your PATH variable). + +If you put extensions in unusual places, you can set PERL5LIB +to a list of paths separated by semicolons where you want perl +to look for libraries. Look for descriptions of other environment +variables you can set in L. + +You can also control the shell that perl uses to run system() and +backtick commands via PERL5SHELL. See L. + +Perl does not depend on the registry, but it can look up certain default +values if you choose to put them there. Perl attempts to read entries from +C and C. +Entries in the former override entries in the latter. One or more of the +following entries (of type REG_SZ or REG_EXPAND_SZ) may be set: -This is still very much an experimental port, and should be considered -alpha quality software. You can expect changes in virtually all of -these areas: build process, installation structure, supported -utilities/modules, and supported perl functionality. Specifically, -functionality that supports the Win32 environment may ultimately -be supported as either core modules or extensions. + lib-$] version-specific path to add to @INC + lib path to add to @INC + sitelib-$] version-specific path to add to @INC + sitelib path to add to @INC + PERL* fallback for all %ENV lookups that begin with "PERL" -Many tests from the standard testsuite either fail or produce different -results under this port. Most of the problems fall under one of these -categories +Note the C<$]> in the above is not literal. Substitute whatever version +of perl you want to honor that entry, e.g. C<5.00502>. Paths must be +separated with semicolons, as usual on win32. + +=item File Globbing + +By default, perl spawns an external program to do file globbing. +The install process installs both a perlglob.exe and a perlglob.bat +that perl can use for this purpose. Note that with the default +installation, perlglob.exe will be found by the system before +perlglob.bat. + +perlglob.exe relies on the argv expansion done by the C Runtime of +the particular compiler you used, and therefore behaves very +differently depending on the Runtime used to build it. To preserve +compatiblity, perlglob.bat (a perl script that can be used portably) +is installed. Besides being portable, perlglob.bat also offers +enhanced globbing functionality. + +If you want perl to use perlglob.bat instead of perlglob.exe, just +delete perlglob.exe from the install location (or move it somewhere +perl cannot find). Using File::DosGlob.pm (which implements the core +functionality of perlglob.bat) to override the internal CORE::glob() +works about 10 times faster than spawing perlglob.exe, and you should +take this approach when writing new modules. See File::DosGlob for +details. + +=item Using perl from the command line + +If you are accustomed to using perl from various command-line +shells found in UNIX environments, you will be less than pleased +with what Windows NT offers by way of a command shell. + +The crucial thing to understand about the "cmd" shell (which is +the default on Windows NT) is that it does not do any wildcard +expansions of command-line arguments (so wildcards need not be +quoted). It also provides only rudimentary quoting. The only +(useful) quote character is the double quote ("). It can be used to +protect spaces in arguments and other special characters. The +Windows NT documentation has almost no description of how the +quoting rules are implemented, but here are some general observations +based on experiments: The shell breaks arguments at spaces and +passes them to programs in argc/argv. Doublequotes can be used +to prevent arguments with spaces in them from being split up. +You can put a double quote in an argument by escaping it with +a backslash and enclosing the whole argument within double quotes. +The backslash and the pair of double quotes surrounding the +argument will be stripped by the shell. + +The file redirection characters "<", ">", and "|" cannot be quoted +by double quotes (there are probably more such). Single quotes +will protect those three file redirection characters, but the +single quotes don't get stripped by the shell (just to make this +type of quoting completely useless). The caret "^" has also +been observed to behave as a quoting character (and doesn't get +stripped by the shell also). + +Here are some examples of usage of the "cmd" shell: + +This prints two doublequotes: + + perl -e "print '\"\"' " + +This does the same: + + perl -e "print \"\\\"\\\"\" " + +This prints "bar" and writes "foo" to the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" > blurch + +This prints "foo" ("bar" disappears into nowhereland): + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2> nul + +This prints "bar" and writes "foo" into the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 1> blurch + +This pipes "foo" to the "less" pager and prints "bar" on the console: + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" | less + +This pipes "foo\nbar\n" to the less pager: + + perl -le "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2>&1 | less + +This pipes "foo" to the pager and writes "bar" in the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2> blurch | less + + +Discovering the usefulness of the "command.com" shell on Windows95 +is left as an exercise to the reader :) + +=item Building Extensions + +The Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) offers a wealth +of extensions, some of which require a C compiler to build. +Look in http://www.perl.com/ for more information on CPAN. + +Most extensions (whether they require a C compiler or not) can +be built, tested and installed with the standard mantra: + + perl Makefile.PL + $MAKE + $MAKE test + $MAKE install + +where $MAKE stands for NMAKE or DMAKE. Some extensions may not +provide a testsuite (so "$MAKE test" may not do anything, or fail), +but most serious ones do. + +If a module implements XSUBs, you will need one of the supported +C compilers. You must make sure you have set up the environment for +the compiler for command-line compilation. + +If a module does not build for some reason, look carefully for +why it failed, and report problems to the module author. If +it looks like the extension building support is at fault, report +that with full details of how the build failed using the perlbug +utility. + +=item Command-line Wildcard Expansion + +The default command shells on DOS descendant operating systems (such +as they are) usually do not expand wildcard arguments supplied to +programs. They consider it the application's job to handle that. +This is commonly achieved by linking the application (in our case, +perl) with startup code that the C runtime libraries usually provide. +However, doing that results in incompatible perl versions (since the +behavior of the argv expansion code differs depending on the +compiler, and it is even buggy on some compilers). Besides, it may +be a source of frustration if you use such a perl binary with an +alternate shell that *does* expand wildcards. + +Instead, the following solution works rather well. The nice things +about it: 1) you can start using it right away 2) it is more powerful, +because it will do the right thing with a pattern like */*/*.c +3) you can decide whether you do/don't want to use it 4) you can +extend the method to add any customizations (or even entirely +different kinds of wildcard expansion). + + C:\> copy con c:\perl\lib\Wild.pm + # Wild.pm - emulate shell @ARGV expansion on shells that don't + use File::DosGlob; + @ARGV = map { + my @g = File::DosGlob::glob($_) if /[*?]/; + @g ? @g : $_; + } @ARGV; + 1; + ^Z + C:\> set PERL5OPT=-MWild + C:\> perl -le "for (@ARGV) { print }" */*/perl*.c + p4view/perl/perl.c + p4view/perl/perlio.c + p4view/perl/perly.c + perl5.005/win32/perlglob.c + perl5.005/win32/perllib.c + perl5.005/win32/perlglob.c + perl5.005/win32/perllib.c + perl5.005/win32/perlglob.c + perl5.005/win32/perllib.c + +Note there are two distinct steps there: 1) You'll have to create +Wild.pm and put it in your perl lib directory. 2) You'll need to +set the PERL5OPT environment variable. If you want argv expansion +to be the default, just set PERL5OPT in your default startup +environment. + +If you are using the Visual C compiler, you can get the C runtime's +command line wildcard expansion built into perl binary. The resulting +binary will always expand unquoted command lines, which may not be +what you want if you use a shell that does that for you. The expansion +done is also somewhat less powerful than the approach suggested above. + +=item Win32 Specific Extensions + +A number of extensions specific to the Win32 platform are available +from CPAN. You may find that many of these extensions are meant to +be used under the Activeware port of Perl, which used to be the only +native port for the Win32 platform. Since the Activeware port does not +have adequate support for Perl's extension building tools, these +extensions typically do not support those tools either, and therefore +cannot be built using the generic steps shown in the previous section. + +To ensure smooth transitioning of existing code that uses the +ActiveState port, there is a bundle of Win32 extensions that contains +all of the ActiveState extensions and most other Win32 extensions from +CPAN in source form, along with many added bugfixes, and with MakeMaker +support. This bundle is available at: + + http://www.perl.com/CPAN/authors/id/GSAR/libwin32-0.12.zip + +See the README in that distribution for building and installation +instructions. Look for later versions that may be available at the +same location. + +=item Running Perl Scripts + +Perl scripts on UNIX use the "#!" (a.k.a "shebang") line to +indicate to the OS that it should execute the file using perl. +Win32 has no comparable means to indicate arbitrary files are +executables. + +Instead, all available methods to execute plain text files on +Win32 rely on the file "extension". There are three methods +to use this to execute perl scripts: + +=over 8 + +=item 1 + +There is a facility called "file extension associations" that will +work in Windows NT 4.0. This can be manipulated via the two +commands "assoc" and "ftype" that come standard with Windows NT +4.0. Type "ftype /?" for a complete example of how to set this +up for perl scripts (Say what? You thought Windows NT wasn't +perl-ready? :). + +=item 2 + +Since file associations don't work everywhere, and there are +reportedly bugs with file associations where it does work, the +old method of wrapping the perl script to make it look like a +regular batch file to the OS, may be used. The install process +makes available the "pl2bat.bat" script which can be used to wrap +perl scripts into batch files. For example: + + pl2bat foo.pl + +will create the file "FOO.BAT". Note "pl2bat" strips any +.pl suffix and adds a .bat suffix to the generated file. + +If you use the 4DOS/NT or similar command shell, note that +"pl2bat" uses the "%*" variable in the generated batch file to +refer to all the command line arguments, so you may need to make +sure that construct works in batch files. As of this writing, +4DOS/NT users will need a "ParameterChar = *" statement in their +4NT.INI file, or will need to execute "setdos /p*" in the 4DOS/NT +startup file to enable this to work. + +=item 3 + +Using "pl2bat" has a few problems: the file name gets changed, +so scripts that rely on C<$0> to find what they must do may not +run properly; running "pl2bat" replicates the contents of the +original script, and so this process can be maintenance intensive +if the originals get updated often. A different approach that +avoids both problems is possible. + +A script called "runperl.bat" is available that can be copied +to any filename (along with the .bat suffix). For example, +if you call it "foo.bat", it will run the file "foo" when it is +executed. Since you can run batch files on Win32 platforms simply +by typing the name (without the extension), this effectively +runs the file "foo", when you type either "foo" or "foo.bat". +With this method, "foo.bat" can even be in a different location +than the file "foo", as long as "foo" is available somewhere on +the PATH. If your scripts are on a filesystem that allows symbolic +links, you can even avoid copying "runperl.bat". + +Here's a diversion: copy "runperl.bat" to "runperl", and type +"runperl". Explain the observed behavior, or lack thereof. :) +Hint: .gnidnats llits er'uoy fi ,"lrepnur" eteled :tniH + +=back + +=item Miscellaneous Things + +A full set of HTML documentation is installed, so you should be +able to use it if you have a web browser installed on your +system. + +C is also a useful tool for browsing information contained +in the documentation, especially in conjunction with a pager +like C (recent versions of which have Win32 support). You may +have to set the PAGER environment variable to use a specific pager. +"perldoc -f foo" will print information about the perl operator +"foo". + +If you find bugs in perl, you can run C to create a +bug report (you may have to send it manually if C cannot +find a mailer on your system). + +=back + +=head1 BUGS AND CAVEATS + +An effort has been made to ensure that the DLLs produced by the two +supported compilers are compatible with each other (despite the +best efforts of the compiler vendors). Extension binaries produced +by one compiler should also coexist with a perl binary built by +a different compiler. In order to accomplish this, PERL.DLL provides +a layer of runtime code that uses the C Runtime that perl was compiled +with. Extensions which include "perl.h" will transparently access +the functions in this layer, thereby ensuring that both perl and +extensions use the same runtime functions. + +If you have had prior exposure to Perl on Unix platforms, you will notice +this port exhibits behavior different from what is documented. Most of the +differences fall under one of these categories. We do not consider +any of them to be serious limitations (especially when compared to the +limited nature of some of the Win32 OSes themselves :) =over 8 @@ -176,14 +592,19 @@ categories C and C functions may not behave as documented. They may return values that bear no resemblance to those reported on Unix -platforms, and some fields may be completely bogus. +platforms, and some fields (like the the one for inode) may be completely +bogus. =item * -The following functions are currently unavailable: C, C, -C, C, C, C, C, C, -C, C, C, C, -C, C, C. This list is possibly incomplete. +The following functions are currently unavailable: C, +C, C, C, C, C, +C and related security functions, C, +C, C, C, C, +C, C, C, C, C, +C<*netent()>, C<*protoent()>, C<*servent()>, C<*hostent()>, +C. +This list is possibly incomplete. =item * @@ -196,18 +617,20 @@ The four-argument C call is only supported on sockets. =item * -The behavior of C or the C operator (a.k.a. "backticks"), -when used to call interactive commands, is ill-defined. +The C call is only supported on sockets (where it provides the +functionality of ioctlsocket() in the Winsock API). =item * -C<$!> doesn't work reliably yet. +Failure to spawn() a subprocess is indicated by setting $? to "255 << 8". +C<$?> is set in a way compatible with Unix (i.e. the exitstatus of the +subprocess is obtained by "$? >> 8", as described in the documentation). =item * -Building modules available on CPAN is mostly supported, but this -hasn't been tested much yet. Expect strange problems, and be -prepared to deal with the consequences. +You can expect problems building modules available on CPAN if you +build perl itself with -DUSE_THREADS. These problems should be resolved +as we get closer to 5.005. =item * @@ -217,16 +640,35 @@ returned values or effects may be bogus. =item * -Signal handling may not behave as on Unix platforms. +Signal handling may not behave as on Unix platforms (where it +doesn't exactly "behave", either :). For instance, calling C +or C from signal handlers will cause an exception, since most +implementations of C on Win32 are severely crippled. +Thus, signals may work only for simple things like setting a flag +variable in the handler. Using signals under this port should +currently be considered unsupported. =item * -File globbing may not behave as on Unix platforms. +C is implemented, but doesn't have the semantics of +C, i.e. it doesn't send a signal to the identified process +like it does on Unix platforms. Instead it immediately calls +C. Thus the signal argument is +used to set the exit-status of the terminated process. This behavior +may change in future. =item * -Not all of the utilities that come with the Perl distribution -are supported yet. +File globbing may not behave as on Unix platforms. In particular, +if you don't use perlglob.bat for globbing, it will understand +wildcards only in the filename component (and not in the pathname). +In other words, something like "print <*/*.pl>" will not print all the +perl scripts in all the subdirectories one level under the current one +(like it does on UNIX platforms). perlglob.exe is also dependent on +the particular implementation of wildcard expansion in the vendor +libraries used to build it (which varies wildly at the present time). +Using perlglob.bat (or File::DosGlob) avoids these limitations, but +still only provides DOS semantics (read "warts") for globbing. =back @@ -238,14 +680,16 @@ by C. =over 4 -=item Gary Ng > +Gary Ng E71564.1743@CompuServe.COME -=item Gurusamy Sarathy > +Gurusamy Sarathy Egsar@umich.eduE -=item Nick Ing-Simmons > +Nick Ing-Simmons Enick@ni-s.u-net.comE =back +This document is maintained by Gurusamy Sarathy. + =head1 SEE ALSO L @@ -259,7 +703,11 @@ at the time. Nick Ing-Simmons and Gurusamy Sarathy have made numerous and sundry hacks since then. -Last updated: 19 March 1997 +Borland support was added in 5.004_01 (Gurusamy Sarathy). + +GCC/mingw32 support was added in 5.005 (Nick Ing-Simmons). + +Last updated: 22 September 1998 =cut