-=================================================
+If you read this file _as_is_, just ignore the funny characters you
+see. It is written in the POD format (see pod/perlpod.pod) which is
+specially designed to be readable as is.
+
+=head1 NAME
+
+README.epoc - Perl for EPOC
+
+=head1 SYNOPSIS
+
Perl 5 README file for the EPOC operating system.
-==================================================
-Olaf Flebbe <o.flebbe@gmx.de>
-http://www.linuxstart.com/~oflebbe/perl/perl.html
-1999-11-01
+=head1 INTRODUCTION
+
+EPOC is an OS for palmtops and mobile phones. For more informations look at:
+http://www.symbian.com/
+
+This is a port of perl to EPOC. It runs on ER5 machines: Psion 5mx,
+5mx Pro, Psion Revo, Psion Netbook and on the Ericson M128. It runs on
+ER3 Hardware (Series 5 classic), too. For more information about this
+hardware please refer to http://www.psion.com.
+
+Vendors which like to have support for their devices are free to send
+me a sample.
+
+=head1 INSTALLING PERL ON EPOC
-Introduction
-------------
+You can download a ready-to-install version from
+http://www.science-computing.de/o.flebbe/perl. You may find other
+versions with some CPAN modules included at this location.
-This is a port of Perl version 5.005_62 to EPOC.
+You will need at least ~4MB free space in order to install and run
+perl.
-There are many features left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX
-support in the SDK.
+Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine. If you do not know how to do
+that, consult your PsiWin documentation.
+Perl itself and its standard library is using 2.5 MB disk space.
+Unicode support and some other modules are left out. (For details,
+please look into epoc/createpkg.pl). If you like to use these modules,
+you are free to copy them from a current perl release.
-Installation/Usage
-------------------
+=head1 STARTING PERL ON EPOC
-You will need ~4MB free space in order to run perl.
+For ER5 machines, you can get the software Perlstart
+http://www.science-computing.de/o.flebbe/perl. It contains file
+recognizers for files with the extension .pl and .pm. With it you can
+start perl with a double click on the camel icon. Be sure to configure
+the perl installation drive first. You can even provide a script with
+a special commandline, if needed.
-Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine (most likely a PSION Series
-5). If you do not know how to do that, you are on your own. You may
-have to use a CF Card in order to work with perl. The perl debugger
-uses more then 1.5 MB additional RAM. The heap is limited to 2 MB.
+Alternatively you can use the epocemx shell
-Perl itself and its standard library are using 1.7MB disk space. I
-left out UTF support and modules which will not work with this
-version. (For details look into epoc/createpkg.pl).
+If you have an ER3 machine (i.e. a PSION 5), you may have to supply the
+full path to the perl executable C:\system\programs\perl.exe.
-Copy eshell.exe to the same location as perl. Start eshell.exe with a
-double click.
+If you need to set the current directory of perl, please use the
+command line switch '-x'. See L<perlrun> for details.
-Now you can enter: perl -de 0 in order to run the perl debugger. If
-you are leaving perl, you have to switch back manually to eshell.exe
-(With Ctrl-System or the button in the upper right corner of the
-System screen.) When perl is running, you will see a task with the
-name STDOUT in the task list.
+=head1 STOPPING PERL ON EPOC
+
+You can stop a running perl process in the task list by closing the
+application `STDOUT'. You can use the kill command in the epocemx
+shell to kill perl.
+
+=head1 USING PERL ON EPOC
+
+=head2 I/O Redirection on Epoc
You can redirect the output with the UNIX bourne shell syntax (this is
built into perl rather then eshell) For instance the following command
perl test.pl >stdout_file <stdin_file 2>stderr_file
-Alternativly you can use 2>&1 in order to add the standard error output to
-stdout.
+Alternatively you can use 2>&1 in order to add the standard error
+output to stdout.
+
+=head2 PATH Names on Epoc
+
+ESHELL looks for executables in ?:/System/Programs. The SIS file
+installs perl in this special folder directory. The default drive and
+path are the same as folder the executable resides. The EPOC
+filesystem is case-preserving, not case-sensitive.
+
+The EPOC estdlib uses the ?: syntax for establishing a search order:
+First in C: (RAM), then on D: (CF Card, if present) and last in Z:
+(ROM). For instance ?:\a.txt searches for C:\a.txt, D:\a.txt (and
+Z:\a.txt)
+
+The perl @INC search path is implemented with '?:'. Your perl
+executable can live on a different drive than the perl library or even
+your scripts.
+
+ESHELL paths have to be written with backslashes '\', file arguments
+to perl with slashes '/'. Remember that I/O redirection is done
+internally in perl, so please use slashes for redirects.
+
+perl.exe C:/test.pl >C:/output.txt
+
+=head2 Editors on Epoc
+
+A suitable text editor can be downloaded from symbian
+http://www.symbian.com/developer/downloads/files/editor.zip
+
+=head2 Features of Perl on Epoc
+
+The built-in function EPOC::getcwd returns the current directory.
+
+=head2 Restrictions of Perl on Epoc
+
+Features are left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX support in
+EPOC:
+
+=over 4
+
+=item *
+
+backquoting, pipes etc.
+
+=item *
+
+system() does not inherit resources like: file descriptors,
+environment etc.
+
+=item *
+
+signal, kill, alarm. Do not try to use them. This may be
+impossible to implement on EPOC.
+
+=item *
+
+select is missing.
-Pathnames to executables in eshell.exe have to be written with
-backslashes, file arguments to perl with slashes. The default drive of
-perl is the same as the drive perl.exe is located on, the default path
-is the path perl.exe is / (???).
+=item *
-i.e. command lines look a little bit funny:
+binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
-D:\perl.exe C:/test.pl >C:/output.txt
+=item *
-In order to use Getopt::Long you have to autosplit this module by hand: run
+EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
+directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
+one) See PATH.
-\perl.exe \autosplit.pl in order to create the necessary files.
+=item *
-You may have a problem to create perl scripts. A cumbersome workaround
-is to use the OPL Editor and exporting to text.
+Heap is limited to 4MB.
-Problems
---------
+=item *
-The following known problems exist:
+Dynamic loading is not implemented.
-1) no support for system, backquoting, pipes etc. One cannot exec a
- different process.
+=back
-2) no signals, kill, alarm. Do not try to use them. This may be
- impossible to implement on EPOC.
+=head2 Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling environment
-3) select is missing.
+Sorry, this is far too short.
-4) binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
+=over 4
-5) Only a stub Config.pm
+=item *
-6) EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
- directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
- one)
+You will need the epocemx SDK from Eberhard Mattes. Watch out for an
+announcement.
-7) sockets may hardly of any use.
+=item *
-8) You need the shell eshell.exe in order to run perl.exe and supply
- it with arguments.
+Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
+=item *
-Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling envionment.
---------------------------------------------------------
+Unpack the sources.
-0. You will need the C++ SDK from
- http://developer.epocworld.com/. Install it on a separate
- drive.
+=item *
-1. Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
- Unpack the sources of perl5.005_60 in the epoc development drive.
-
-2. Copy all files in the directory perl5.005_60/epoc to perl5.005_60.
+Build a native perl from this sources... Make sure to save the
+miniperl executable as miniperl.native.
-3. Check the perl.mmp file: It should have the correct locations for
- project und subproject (see step 1)
+Start again from scratch
-4. Change to the EPOC development drive and run
- makmake perl marm
- nmake -f perl.marm
- makesis perl.pkg perl5.005.sis
+ cp epoc/* .
+ ./Configure -S
+ make
+ cp miniperl.native miniperl
+ make
+ perl createpkg.pl
-5. Beam the perl5.005.sis to the Psion5, install and enjoy!
+ emxsis perl.pkg perl.sis
-You can use epoc\createpkg.pl to generate a new perl.pkg file.
+=back
+=head1 SUPPORT STATUS OF PERL ON EPOC
-Wish List
----------
+I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
+guarantee I'll be able to answer them.
-- Implement an OPX to get rid of eshell.exe.
+=head1 AUTHOR
-- Implement system(), in order to run the tests.
+Olaf Flebbe <o.flebbe@science-computing.de>
+http://www.science-computing.de/o.flebbe/perl/
-- Implement getprotcolbyname() and relatives.
+=head1 LAST UPDATE
-Support Status
---------------
+2001-12-12
-I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
-guarantee I'll be able to answer them; I don't know much about Perl
-internals myself;
+=cut