=head1 DESCRIPTION
-Perl on Win32 contains several functions to access Win32 APIs. Some
-are included in Perl itself (on Win32) and some are only available
-after explicitly requesting the Win32 module with:
-
- use Win32;
-
-The builtin functions are marked as [CORE] and the other ones
-as [EXT] in the following alphabetical listing.
+The Win32 module contains functions to access Win32 APIs.
=head2 Alphabetical Listing of Win32 Functions
+It is recommended to C<use Win32;> before any of these functions;
+however, for backwards compatibility, those marked as [CORE] will
+automatically do this for you.
+
=over
=item Win32::AbortSystemShutdown(MACHINE)
-[EXT] Aborts a system shutdown (started by the
+Aborts a system shutdown (started by the
InitiateSystemShutdown function) on the specified MACHINE.
=item Win32::BuildNumber()
=item Win32::ExpandEnvironmentStrings(STRING)
-[EXT] Takes STRING and replaces all referenced environment variable
+Takes STRING and replaces all referenced environment variable
names with their defined values. References to environment variables
take the form C<%VariableName%>. Case is ignored when looking up the
VariableName in the environment. If the variable is not found then the
=item Win32::FreeLibrary(HANDLE)
-[EXT] Unloads a previously loaded dynamic-link library. The HANDLE is
+Unloads a previously loaded dynamic-link library. The HANDLE is
no longer valid after this call. See L<LoadLibrary|Win32::LoadLibrary(LIBNAME)>
for information on dynamically loading a library.
=item Win32::GetArchName()
-[EXT] Use of this function is deprecated. It is equivalent with
+Use of this function is deprecated. It is equivalent with
$ENV{PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE}. This might not work on Win9X.
=item Win32::GetChipName()
-[EXT] Returns the processor type: 386, 486 or 586 for Intel processors,
+Returns the processor type: 386, 486 or 586 for Intel processors,
21064 for the Alpha chip.
=item Win32::GetCwd()
=item Win32::GetFileVersion(FILENAME)
-[EXT] Returns the file version number from the VERSIONINFO resource of
+Returns the file version number from the VERSIONINFO resource of
the executable file or DLL. This is a tuple of four 16 bit numbers.
In list context these four numbers will be returned. In scalar context
they are concatenated into a string, separated by dots.
=item Win32::GetFolderPath(FOLDER [, CREATE])
-[EXT] Returns the full pathname of one of the Windows special folders.
+Returns the full pathname of one of the Windows special folders.
The folder will be created if it doesn't exist and the optional CREATE
argument is true. The following FOLDER constants are defined by the
Win32 module, but only exported on demand:
=item Win32::GetOSName()
-[EXT] In scalar context returns the name of the Win32 operating system
+In scalar context returns the name of the Win32 operating system
being used. In list context returns a two element list of the OS name
and whatever edition information is known about the particular build
(for Win9X boxes) and whatever service packs have been installed.
=item Win32::GetProcAddress(INSTANCE, PROCNAME)
-[EXT] Returns the address of a function inside a loaded library. The
+Returns the address of a function inside a loaded library. The
information about what you can do with this address has been lost in
the mist of time. Use the Win32::API module instead of this deprecated
function.
=item Win32::GuidGen()
-[EXT] Creates a globally unique 128 bit integer that can be used as a
+Creates a globally unique 128 bit integer that can be used as a
persistent identifier in a distributed setting. To a very high degree
of certainty this function returns a unique value. No other
invocation, on the same or any other system (networked or not), should
(MACHINE, MESSAGE, TIMEOUT, FORCECLOSE, REBOOT)
-[EXT] Shutsdown the specified MACHINE, notifying users with the
+Shutsdown the specified MACHINE, notifying users with the
supplied MESSAGE, within the specified TIMEOUT interval. Forces
closing of all documents without prompting the user if FORCECLOSE is
true, and reboots the machine if REBOOT is true. This function works
=item Win32::IsAdminUser()
-[EXT] Returns non zero if the account in whose security context the
+Returns non zero if the account in whose security context the
current process/thread is running belongs to the local group of
Administrators in the built-in system domain; returns 0 if not.
Returns the undefined value and prints a warning if an error occurred.
=item Win32::LoadLibrary(LIBNAME)
-[EXT] Loads a dynamic link library into memory and returns its module
+Loads a dynamic link library into memory and returns its module
handle. This handle can be used with Win32::GetProcAddress and
Win32::FreeLibrary. This function is deprecated. Use the Win32::API
module instead.
=item Win32::LookupAccountName(SYSTEM, ACCOUNT, DOMAIN, SID, SIDTYPE)
-[EXT] Looks up ACCOUNT on SYSTEM and returns the domain name the SID and
+Looks up ACCOUNT on SYSTEM and returns the domain name the SID and
the SID type.
=item Win32::LookupAccountSID(SYSTEM, SID, ACCOUNT, DOMAIN, SIDTYPE)
-[EXT] Looks up SID on SYSTEM and returns the account name, domain name,
+Looks up SID on SYSTEM and returns the account name, domain name,
and the SID type.
=item Win32::MsgBox(MESSAGE [, FLAGS [, TITLE]])
-[EXT] Create a dialogbox containing MESSAGE. FLAGS specifies the
+Create a dialogbox containing MESSAGE. FLAGS specifies the
required icon and buttons according to the following table:
0 = OK
=item Win32::RegisterServer(LIBRARYNAME)
-[EXT] Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function DllRegisterServer.
+Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function DllRegisterServer.
=item Win32::SetChildShowWindow(SHOWWINDOW)
SetChildShowWindow(0) will make these new console windows invisible.
Calling SetChildShowWindow() without arguments reverts system() to the
default behavior. The return value of SetChildShowWindow() is the
-previous setting or C<undef>.
+previous setting or C<undef>. This function is only available in
+MSWin32 builds of perl.
-[EXT] The following symbolic constants for SHOWWINDOW are available
+The following symbolic constants for SHOWWINDOW are available
(but not exported) from the Win32 module: SW_HIDE, SW_SHOWNORMAL,
SW_SHOWMINIMIZED, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED and SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE.
=item Win32::UnregisterServer(LIBRARYNAME)
-[EXT] Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function
+Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function
DllUnregisterServer.
=back
__END__
=head1 NAME
-Win32CORE - Win32 CORE functions
+Win32CORE - Win32 CORE function stubs
=head1 DESCRIPTION
-This library provides the functions marked as [CORE] in L<Win32>. See that
-document for usage information. In cygwin, as of 5.8.6 it is no longer
-necessary to use this module; the functions should be available even without
-C<use Win32CORE;> or C<-MWin32CORE>.
+This library provides stubs for the functions marked as [CORE] in L<Win32>.
+See that document for usage information. When any of these functions are
+called, the full Win32 module is loaded automatically. It is preferred
+that callers of these functions explicitly C<use Win32;>.
+
+=head1 HISTORY
+
+Win32CORE was created to provide on cygwin those Win32:: functions that
+for regular win32 builds were provided by default in perl. In cygwin
+perl releases prior to 5.8.6, this module was standalone and had to
+be explicitly used. In 5.8.6 and later, it was statically linked into
+cygwin perl so this would no longer be necessary.
+
+As of perl 5.9.5/Win32 0.27, these functions have been moved into
+the Win32 module. Win32CORE provides stubs for each of the former
+CORE Win32:: functions that internally just load the Win32 module and
+call it's version, and Win32CORE is statically linked to perl for both
+cygwin and regular win32 builds. This will permit these functions to
+be updated in the CPAN Win32 module independently of updating perl.
=cut
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