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Diffstat (limited to 'msdos/README.msdos')
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1 files changed, 80 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/msdos/README.msdos b/msdos/README.msdos index 2d6a276b78..3a5c38fcae 100644 --- a/msdos/README.msdos +++ b/msdos/README.msdos @@ -113,3 +113,83 @@ front of %0.bat). Myrsinis 1 GR-145 62 Kifissia Greece + +-------------------------------------------------------------------------- + + Revisions to the MS-DOS support in Perl 4.0 + Tom Dinger, 18 March 1991 + +The DOS compatibility added to Perl sometime in release 3.x was not +maintained, and Perl as distributed could not be built without changes. + +Both myself and Len Reed more or less "rediscovered" how to get Perl built +and running reliably for MS-DOS, using the Microsoft C compiler. He and I +have communicated, and will be putting together additional patches for the +DOS version of Perl. + +1. Compiling Perl + + For now, I have not supplied a makefile, as there is no standard for + make utilities under DOS. All the files can be compiled with Microsoft + C 5.1, using the switches "-AL -Ox" for Large memory model, maximum + optimization (this turned out a few code generation bugs in MSC 5.1). + The code will also compile with MSC 6.00A, with the optimization + "-Oacegils /Gs" for all files (regcomp.c has special case code to change + the aliasing optimizations). + + Generally, you follow the instructions given above to compile and build + Perl 4.0 for DOS. I used the output of SunOS yacc run on perly.y, + without modification, but I expect both Bison and Berkeley-YACC will work + also. From inspection of the generated code, however, I believe AT&T + derived YACC produces the smallest tables, i.e. uses the least memory. + This is important for a 300K executable file. + +2. Editing in-place. + + You will need the file suffix.c from the os2 subdirectory -- it will + create a backup file with much less danger for DOS. + +3. A "Smarter" chdir() function. + + I have added to the DOS version of Perl 4.0 a replacement chdir() + function. Unlike the "normal" behavior, it is aware of drive letters + at the start of paths for DOS. So for example: + + perl_chdir( "B:" ) changes to the default directory, on drive B: + perl_chdir( "C:\FOO" ) changes to the specified directory, on drive C: + perl_chdir( "\BAR" ) changes to the specified directory on the + current drive. + +4. *.BAT Scripts as Perl scripts + + The strategy described above for turning a Perl script into a *.BAT + script do not work. I have been using the following lines at the + beginning of a Perl *.BAT script: + + @REM=(qq! + @perl -S %0.bat %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 + @goto end !) if 0 ; + + and the following at the end of the *.BAT script: + + @REM=(qq! + :end !) if 0 ; + + If you like, with the proper editor you can replace the four '!' + characters with some untypeable character, such as Ctrl-A. This will + allow you to pass any characters, including ".." strings as arguments. + +4. Things to Come + + * Better temporary file handling. + * A real Makefile -- Len Reed has one for Dmake 3.6 + * Swapping code -- swaps most of Perl out of memory (to EMS, XMS or + disk) before running a sub-program or pipe. + * MKS command line support, both into Perl, and to other programs + spawned by Perl. + * Smarter pipe functions, not using COMMAND.COM. + + + Tom Dinger + tdinger@East.Sun.COM + Martch 18, 1991 |