=head1 How are Perl Releases Numbered?
-Perl version numbers are floating point numbers, such as 5.004.
-(Observations about the imprecision of floating point numbers for
-representing reality probably have more relevance than you might
-imagine :-) The major version number is 5 and the '004' is the
-patchlevel. (Questions such as whether or not '004' is really a minor
-version number can safely be ignored.:)
+Beginning with v5.6.0, even versions will stand for maintenance releases
+and odd versions for development releases, i.e., v5.6.x for maintenance
+releases, and v5.7.x for development releases. Before v5.6.0, subversions
+_01 through _49 were reserved for bug-fix maintenance releases, and
+subversions _50 through _99 for unstable development versions.
-The version number is available as the magic variable $],
-and can be used in comparisons, e.g.
+For example, in v5.6.1, the revision number is 5, the version is 6,
+and 1 is the subversion.
- print "You've got an old perl\n" if $] < 5.002;
+For compatibility with the older numbering scheme the composite floating
+point version number continues to be available as the magic variable $],
+and amounts to C<$revision + $version/1000 + $subversion/100000>. This
+can still be used in comparisons.
-You can also require particular version (or later) with
+ print "You've got an old perl\n" if $] < 5.005_03;
- use 5.002;
+In addition, the version is also available as a string in $^V.
-At some point in the future, we may need to decide what to call the
-next big revision. In the .package file used by metaconfig to
-generate Configure, there are two variables that might be relevant:
-$baserev=5.0 and $package=perl5. At various times, I have suggested
-we might change them to $baserev=5.1 and $package=perl5.1 if want
-to signify a fairly major update. Or, we might want to jump to perl6.
-Let's worry about that problem when we get there.
+ print "You've got a new perl\n" if $^V and $^V ge v5.6.0;
-=head2 Subversions
+You can also require particular version (or later) with:
-In addition, there usually are sub-versions available. Sub-versions
-are numbered with sub-version numbers. For example, version 5.003_04
-is the 4'th developer version built on top of 5.003. It might include
-the _01, _02, and _03 changes, but it also might not. Sub-versions are
-allowed to be subversive. (But see the next section for recent
-changes.)
+ use 5.006;
-These sub-versions can also be used as floating point numbers, so
-you can do things such as
+or using the new syntax available only from v5.6 onward:
- print "You've got an unstable perl\n" if $] == 5.00303;
+ use v5.6.0;
-You can also require particular version (or later) with
-
- use 5.003_03; # the "_" is optional
+At some point in the future, we may need to decide what to call the
+next big revision. In the .package file used by metaconfig to
+generate Configure, there are two variables that might be relevant:
+$baserev=5 and $package=perl5.
-Sub-versions produced by the members of perl5-porters are usually
+Perl releases produced by the members of perl5-porters are usually
available on CPAN in the F<src/5.0/maint> and F<src/5.0/devel>
directories.
=head2 Maintenance and Development Subversions
-Starting with version 5.004, subversions _01 through _49 are reserved
-for bug-fix maintenance releases, and subversions _50 through _99 for
-unstable development versions.
-
-The separate bug-fix track is being established to allow us an easy
-way to distribute important bug fixes without waiting for the
-developers to untangle all the other problems in the current
-developer's release. The first rule of maintenance work is "First, do
-no harm."
+The first rule of maintenance work is "First, do no harm."
Trial releases of bug-fix maintenance releases are announced on
perl5-porters. Trial releases use the new subversion number (to avoid
public consumption.
In general, the names of official distribution files for the public
-always match the regular expression
-
- ^perl5\.\d{3}(_[0-4]\d)?\.tar\.gz$
-
-Developer releases always match
+always match the regular expression:
- ^perl5\.\d{3}(_[5-9]\d)?\.tar\.gz$
+ ^perl\d+\.(\d+)\.\d+(-MAINT_TRIAL_\d+)\.tar\.gz$
-And the trial versions for a new maintainance release match
-
- ^perl5\.\d{3}(_[0-4]\d)-MAINT_TRIAL_\d+\.tar\.gz$
+C<$1> in the pattern is always an even number for maintenance
+versions, and odd for developer releases.
In the past it has been observed that pumkings tend to invent new
naming conventions on the fly. If you are a pumpking, before you
provide the trees of symlinks and the like. They will have to know
I<in advance> what you decide.
-=head2 Why such a complicated scheme?
-
-Two reasons, really. At least.
-
-First, we need some way to identify and release collections of patches
-that are known to have new features that need testing and exploration. The
-subversion scheme does that nicely while fitting into the
-C<use 5.004;> mold.
-
-Second, since most of the folks who help maintain perl do so on a
-free-time voluntary basis, perl development does not proceed at a
-precise pace, though it always seems to be moving ahead quickly.
-We needed some way to pass around the "patch pumpkin" to allow
-different people chances to work on different aspects of the
-distribution without getting in each other's way. It wouldn't be
-constructive to have multiple people working on incompatible
-implementations of the same idea. Instead what was needed was
-some kind of "baton" or "token" to pass around so everyone knew
-whose turn was next.
-
=head2 Why is it called the patch pumpkin?
Chip Salzenberg gets credit for that, with a nod to his cow orker,
line options and possibly existing config.sh and Policy.sh files from
previous Configure runs.
-The extension hints are written Perl (by the time they are used
+The extension hints are written in Perl (by the time they are used
miniperl has been built) and control the building of their respective
extensions. They can be used to for example manipulate compilation
and linking flags.
A file called F<README.youros> at the top level that explains things
like how to install perl at this platform, where to get any possibly
required additional software, and for example what test suite errors
-to expect, is nice too.
+to expect, is nice too. Such files are in the process of being written
+in pod format and will eventually be renamed F<INSTALL.youros>.
You may also want to write a separate F<.pod> file for your operating
system to tell about existing mailing lists, os-specific modules,
to config.sh and then propoagate them to a canned 'config.h' by any
number of means, including a perl script in win32/ or carrying
config.sh and config_h.SH to a Unix system and running sh
-config_h.SH.)
+config_h.SH.) Vms uses configure.com to generate its own config.sh
+and config.h. If you want to add a new variable to config.sh check
+with vms folk how to add it to configure.com too.
XXX]
The Porting/config.sh and Porting/config_H files are provided to
Simply edit the existing config_H file; keep the first few explanatory
lines and then copy your new config.h below.
-It may also be necessary to update win32/config.?c, vms/config.vms and
+It may also be necessary to update win32/config.?c, and
plan9/config.plan9, though you should be quite careful in doing so if
you are not familiar with those systems. You might want to issue your
patch with a promise to quickly issue a follow-up that handles those
started to fix F<perly.fixer> to detect this, but I never completed the
task.
-If C<perly.c> changes, make sure you run C<perl vms/vms_yfix.pl> to
-update the corresponding VMS files. See L<VMS-specific updates>.
+If C<perly.c> or C<perly.h> changes, make sure you run C<perl vms/vms_yfix.pl>
+to update the corresponding VMS files. This could be taken care of by
+the regen_all target in the Unix Makefile. See also
+L<VMS-specific updates>.
Some additional notes from Larry on this:
Larry
+=head2 make regen_all
+
+This target takes care of the PERLYVMS, regen_headers, and regen_pods
+targets.
+
=head2 make regen_headers
The F<embed.h>, F<keywords.h>, and F<opcode.h> files are all automatically
than answering all the questions and complaints about the failing
command.
+=head2 make regen_pods
+
+Will run `make regen_pods` in the pod directory for indexing.
+
=head2 global.sym, interp.sym and perlio.sym
Make sure these files are up-to-date. Read the comments in these
If you do change F<global.sym> or F<interp.sym>, think carefully about
what you are doing. To the extent reasonable, we'd like to maintain
-souce and binary compatibility with older releases of perl. That way,
+source and binary compatibility with older releases of perl. That way,
extensions built under one version of perl will continue to work with
new versions of perl.
=head2 VMS-specific updates
If you have changed F<perly.y> or F<perly.c>, then you most probably want
-to update F<vms/perly_{h,c}.vms> by running C<perl vms/vms_yfix.pl>.
+to update F<vms/perly_{h,c}.vms> by running C<perl vms/vms_yfix.pl>, or
+by running `make regen_all` which will run that script for you.
-The Perl version number appears in several places under F<vms>.
-It is courteous to update these versions. For example, if you are
-making 5.004_42, replace "5.00441" with "5.00442".
+The Perl revision number appears as "perl5" in configure.com.
+It is courteous to update that if necessary.
=head2 Making the new distribution
You can also hand-tweak your config.h to try out different #ifdef
branches.
+=head2 Other tests
+
+=over 4
+
+=item CHECK_FORMAT
+
+To test the correct use of printf-style arguments, C<Configure> with
+S<-Dccflags='-DCHECK_FORMAT -Wformat'> and run C<make>. The compiler
+will produce warning of incorrect use of format arguments. CHECK_FORMAT
+changes perl-defined formats to common formats, so DO NOT USE the executable
+produced by this process.
+
+A more accurate approach is the following commands:
+
+ sh Configure -des -Dccflags=-Wformat ...
+ make miniperl # without -DCHECK_FORMAT
+ perl -i.orig -pwe 's/-Wformat/-DCHECK_FORMAT $&/' config.sh
+ sh Configure -S
+ make >& make.log # build from correct miniperl
+ make clean
+ make miniperl >& mini.log # build miniperl with -DCHECK_FORMAT
+ perl -nwe 'print if /^\S+:/ and not /^make\b/' mini.log make.log
+ make clean
+
+(-Wformat support by Robin Barker.)
+
+=back
+
+=head1 Running Purify
+
+Purify is a commercial tool that is helpful in identifying memory
+overruns, wild pointers, memory leaks and other such badness. Perl
+must be compiled in a specific way for optimal testing with Purify.
+
+Use the following commands to test perl with Purify:
+
+ sh Configure -des -Doptimize=-g -Uusemymalloc -Dusemultiplicity \
+ -Accflags=-DPURIFY
+ setenv PURIFYOPTIONS "-chain-length=25"
+ make all pureperl
+ cd t
+ ln -s ../pureperl perl
+ setenv PERL_DESTRUCT_LEVEL 5
+ ./perl TEST
+
+Disabling Perl's malloc allows Purify to monitor allocations and leaks
+more closely; using Perl's malloc will make Purify report most leaks
+in the "potential" leaks category. Enabling the multiplicity option
+allows perl to clean up thoroughly when the interpreter shuts down, which
+reduces the number of bogus leak reports from Purify. The -DPURIFY
+enables any Purify-specific debugging code in the sources.
+
+Purify outputs messages in "Viewer" windows by default. If you don't have
+a windowing environment or if you simply want the Purify output to
+unobtrusively go to a log file instead of to the interactive window,
+use the following options instead:
+
+ setenv PURIFYOPTIONS "-chain-length=25 -windows=no -log-file=perl.log \
+ -append-logfile=yes"
+
+The only currently known leaks happen when there are compile-time errors
+within eval or require. (Fixing these is non-trivial, unfortunately, but
+they must be fixed eventually.)
+
=head1 Common Gotcha's
=over 4
=item File locking
Somehow, straighten out, document, and implement lockf(), flock(),
-and/or fcntl() file locking. It's a mess.
+and/or fcntl() file locking. It's a mess. See $d_fcntl_can_lock
+in recent config.sh files though.
=back
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