[inseparable changes from patch from perl5.003_24 to perl5.003_25]

[p5sagit/p5-mst-13.2.git] / pod / perlvar.pod

diff --git a/pod/perlvar.pod b/pod/perlvar.pod
index de9bd22..f0447cd 100644 (file)
--- a/pod/perlvar.pod
+++ b/pod/perlvar.pod
@@ -397,16 +397,26 @@ L<perlfunc/formline()>.
 =item $?
 
 The status returned by the last pipe close, back-tick (C<``>) command,
-or system() operator.  Note that this is the status word returned by
-the wait() system call, so the exit value of the subprocess is actually
-(C<$? E<gt>E<gt> 8>).  Thus on many systems, C<$? & 255> gives which signal,
-if any, the process died from, and whether there was a core dump.
-(Mnemonic: similar to B<sh> and B<ksh>.)
+or system() operator.  Note that this is the status word returned by the
+wait() system call (or else is made up to look like it -- see L<$^S>).
+Thus, the exit value of the subprocess is actually (C<$? E<gt>E<gt> 8>),
+and C<$? & 255> gives which signal, if any, the process died from, and
+whether there was a core dump.  (Mnemonic: similar to B<sh> and B<ksh>.)
 
 Inside an C<END> subroutine C<$?> contains the value that is going to be
 given to C<exit()>.  You can modify C<$?> in an C<END> subroutine to
 change the exit status of the script.
 
+=item $SYSTEM_CHILD_STATUS
+
+=item $^S
+
+The status returned by the last pipe close, back-tick (C<``>) command, or
+system() operator, in the native system format.  On UNIX and UNIX-like
+systems, C<$^S> is a synonym for C<$?>.  Elsewhere, C<$^S> can be used to
+determine aspects of child status that are system-specific.  Check C<$^O>
+before using this variable.  (Mnemonic: System-Specific Subprocess Status.)
+
 =item $OS_ERROR
 
 =item $ERRNO
@@ -426,9 +436,8 @@ operator.  (Mnemonic: What just went bang?)
 
 =item $^E
 
-More specific information about the last system error than that
-provided by C<$!>, if available.  (If not, it's just C<$!> again, except under
-OS/2.)
+More specific information about the last system error than that provided by
+C<$!>, if available.  (If not, it's just C<$!> again, except under OS/2.)
 At the moment, this differs from C<$!> under only VMS and OS/2, where it
 provides the VMS status value from the last system error, and OS/2 error
 code of the last call to OS/2 API which was not directed via CRT.  The
@@ -729,7 +738,8 @@ is about to be thrown.  The error message is passed as the first
 argument.  When a __DIE__ hook routine returns, the exception
 processing continues as it would have in the absence of the hook,
 unless the hook routine itself exits via a C<goto>, a loop exit, or a die().
-The __DIE__ handler is explicitly disabled during the call, so that you
-can die from a __DIE__ handler.  Similarly for __WARN__.
+The C<__DIE__> handler is explicitly disabled during the call, so that you
+can die from a C<__DIE__> handler.  Similarly for C<__WARN__>.  See
+L<perlfunc/die>, L<perlfunc/warn> and L<perlfunc/eval>.
 
 =back