X-Git-Url: http://git.shadowcat.co.uk/gitweb/gitweb.cgi?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README.win32;h=233bb6399cef0da293f6c25fb20a87af2df8699a;hb=1d603a678689f1e74cf73914a432b2a8d38be470;hp=36953ec0da74c288660325b04363386fa1001172;hpb=68dc074516a6859e3424b48d1647bcb08b1a1a7d;p=p5sagit%2Fp5-mst-13.2.git diff --git a/README.win32 b/README.win32 index 36953ec..233bb63 100644 --- a/README.win32 +++ b/README.win32 @@ -4,21 +4,27 @@ specially designed to be readable as is. =head1 NAME -perlwin32 - Perl under WindowsNT [XXX and perhaps under Windows95] +perlwin32 - Perl under Win32 =head1 SYNOPSIS -These are instructions for building Perl under WindowsNT (versions -3.51 or 4.0), using Visual C++. +These are instructions for building Perl under Windows NT (versions +3.51 or 4.0), using Visual C++ (versions 2.0 through 5.0) or Borland +C++ (version 5.02 or later). Currently, this port is reported to build +under Windows95 using the 4DOS shell--the default shell that infests +Windows95 will not work (see below). Note this caveat is only about +B perl. Once built, you should be able to B it on +either Win32 platform (modulo the problems arising from the inferior +command shell). =head1 DESCRIPTION -Before you start, you should glance through the README file found +Before you start, you should glance through the README file found in the top-level directory where the Perl distribution was extracted. Make sure you read and understand the terms under which this software is being distributed. -Make sure you read the L section below for the +Also make sure you read L below for the known limitations of this port. The INSTALL file in the perl top-level has much information that is @@ -26,38 +32,77 @@ only relevant to people building Perl on Unix-like systems. In particular, you can safely ignore any information that talks about "Configure". -You should probably also read the README.os2 file, which gives a -different set of rules to build a Perl that will work on Win32 -platforms. That method will probably enable you to build a more -Unix-compatible perl, but you will also need to download and use -various other support software described in that file. +You may also want to look at two other options for building +a perl that will work on Windows NT: the README.cygwin32 and +README.os2 files, which each give a different set of rules to build +a Perl that will work on Win32 platforms. Those two methods will +probably enable you to build a more Unix-compatible perl, but you +will also need to download and use various other build-time and +run-time support software described in those files. This set of instructions is meant to describe a so-called "native" port of Perl to Win32 platforms. The resulting Perl requires no additional software to run (other than what came with your operating -system). Currently, this port is only capable of using Microsoft's -Visual C++ compiler. The ultimate goal is to support the other major -compilers that can be used on the platforms. +system). Currently, this port is capable of using either the +Microsoft Visual C++ compiler, or the Borland C++ compiler. The +ultimate goal is to support the other major compilers that can +generally be used to build Win32 applications. + +This port currently supports MakeMaker (the set of modules that +is used to build extensions to perl). Therefore, you should be +able to build and install most extensions found in the CPAN sites. +See L below for general hints about this. =head2 Setting Up =over 4 -=item * +=item Command Shell -Use the default "cmd" shell that comes with NT. In particular, do -*not* use the 4DOS/NT shell. The Makefile has commands that are not -compatible with that shell. +Use the default "cmd" shell that comes with NT. Some versions of the +popular 4DOS/NT shell have incompatibilities that may cause you trouble. +If the build fails under that shell, try building again with the cmd +shell. The Makefile also has known incompatibilites with the "command.com" +shell that comes with Windows95, so building under Windows95 should +be considered "unsupported". However, there have been reports of successful +build attempts using 4DOS/NT version 3.00 under Windows95, using dmake, but +your mileage may vary. -=item * +The surest way to build it is on WindowsNT, using the cmd shell. -Run the VCVARS32.BAT file usually found somewhere like C:\MSDEV4.2\BIN. -This will set your build environment. +=item Borland C++ -=item * +If you are using the Borland compiler, you will need dmake, a freely +available make that has very nice macro features and parallelability. +(The make that Borland supplies is seriously crippled, and will not +work for MakeMaker builds.) + +A port of dmake for win32 platforms is available from: + + http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gsar/dmake-4.1-win32.zip + +Fetch and install dmake somewhere on your path (follow the instructions +in the README.NOW file). + +=item Microsoft Visual C++ + +The NMAKE that comes with Visual C++ will suffice for building. +If you did not choose to always initialize the Visual C++ compilation +environment variables when you installed Visual C++ on your system, you +will need to run the VCVARS32.BAT file usually found somewhere like +C:\MSDEV4.2\BIN. This will set your build environment. + +You can also use dmake to build using Visual C++, provided: +you set OSRELEASE to "microsft" (or whatever the directory name +under which the Visual C dmake configuration lives) in your environment, +and edit win32/config.vc to change "make=nmake" into "make=dmake". The +latter step is only essential if you want to use dmake as your default +make for building extensions using MakeMaker. + +=item Permissions Depending on how you extracted the distribution, you have to make sure -all the files are writable by you. The easiest way to make sure of +some of the files are writable by you. The easiest way to make sure of this is to execute: attrib -R *.* /S @@ -68,117 +113,381 @@ but it doesn't hurt to do so. =back -=head2 Building and Installation +=head2 Building =over 4 =item * -The "win32" directory contains *.mak files for use with the NMAKE that -comes with Visual C++ ver. 4.0 and above. If you wish to build perl -using Visual C++ versions between 2.0 and 4.0, do the following three -additional steps (these three steps are not required if you are -using Visual C++ versions 4.0 and above): +Make sure you are in the "win32" subdirectory under the perl toplevel. +This directory contains a "Makefile" that will work with +versions of NMAKE that come with Visual C++ ver. 2.0 and above, and +a dmake "makefile.mk" that will work for both Borland and Visual C++ +builds. The defaults in the dmake makefile are setup to build using the +Borland compiler. -=over 8 +=item * -=item 1. +Edit the Makefile (or makefile.mk, if using dmake) and change the values +of INST_DRV and INST_TOP. If you are using Visual C++ ver. 2.0, uncomment +the line that sets "CCTYPE=MSVC20". You can also enable various build +flags. -Overwrite the *.mak files in the win32 subdirectory with the versions -in the win32\VC-2.0 directory. (The only difference in those makefiles -is in how the $(INCLUDE) variable is handled--VC 2.0 NMAKE does not -grok a path list in $(INCLUDE)). +If you have either the source or a library that contains des_fcrypt(), +enable the appropriate option in the makefile. des_fcrypt() is not +bundled with the distribution due to US Government restrictions +on the export of cryptographic software. Nevertheless, this routine +is part of the "libdes" library (written by Ed Young) which is widely +available worldwide, usually along with SSLeay (for example: +"ftp://fractal.mta.ca/pub/crypto/SSLeay/DES/"). Set CRYPT_SRC to the +name of the file that implements des_fcrypt(). Alternatively, if +you have built a library that contains des_fcrypt(), you can set +CRYPT_LIB to point to the library name. -=item 2. +Perl will also build without des_fcrypt(), but the crypt() builtin will +fail at run time. -Reset your INCLUDE environment variable to the MSVC include directory. -For example: +You will also have to make sure CCHOME points to wherever you installed +your compiler. - set INCLUDE=E:\MSVC20\INCLUDE +=item * -This must have only one directory (a list of directories will not work). -VCVARS32.BAT may put multiple locations in there, which is why this step -is required. +Type "nmake" (or "dmake" if you are using that make). -=item 3. +This should build everything. Specifically, it will create perl.exe, +perl.dll, and perlglob.exe at the perl toplevel, and various other +extension dll's under the lib\auto directory. If the build fails for +any reason, make sure you have done the previous steps correctly. -Apply the patch found in win32\VC-2.0\vc2.patch, like so: +The build process may produce "harmless" compiler warnings (more or +less copiously, depending on how picky your compiler gets). The +maintainers are aware of these warnings, thankyouverymuch. :) - cd win32 - patch -p2 -N < VC-2.0\vc2.patch +When building using Visual C++, a perl95.exe will also get built. This +executable is only needed on Windows95, and should be used instead of +perl.exe, and then only if you want sockets to work properly on Windows95. +This is necessitated by a bug in the Microsoft C Runtime that cannot be +worked around in the "normal" perl.exe. perl95.exe gets built with its +own private copy of the C Runtime that is not accessible to extensions +(which see the DLL version of the CRT). Be aware, therefore, that this +perl95.exe will have esoteric problems with extensions like perl/Tk that +themselves use the C Runtime heavily, or want to free() pointers +malloc()-ed by perl. -You may have to edit win32\win32.c manually if you don't have GNU patch. +You can avoid the perl95.exe problems completely if you use Borland +C++ for building perl (perl95.exe is not needed and will not be built +in that case). =back -=item * +=head2 Testing -Make sure you are in the "win32" subdirectory under the perl toplevel. +Type "nmake test" (or "dmake test"). This will run most of the tests from +the testsuite (many tests will be skipped, and but no test should fail). -=item * +If some tests do fail, it may be because you are using a different command +shell than the native "cmd.exe". -Type "nmake" while in the "win32" subdirectory. This should build -everything. Specifically, it will create perl.exe, perl.dll, and -perlglob.exe at the perl toplevel, and various other extension dll's -under the lib\auto directory. If the make fails for any reason, make -sure you have done the previous steps correctly. +If you used the Borland compiler, you may see a failure in op/taint.t +arising from the inability to find the Borland Runtime DLLs on the system +default path. You will need to copy the DLLs reported by the messages +from where Borland chose to install it, into the Windows system directory +(usually somewhere like C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32), and rerun the test. -=item * +Please report any other failures as described under L. -Type "nmake install". This will put the newly built perl and the -libraries under C:\PERL. If you want to alter this location, to say, -D:\FOO\PERL, you will have to say: +=head2 Installation - nmake install INST_TOP=D:\FOO\PERL +Type "nmake install" (or "dmake install"). This will put the newly +built perl and the libraries under whatever C points to in the +Makefile. It will also install the pod documentation under +C<$INST_TOP\lib\pod> and HTML versions of the same under +C<$INST_TOP\lib\pod\html>. To use the Perl you just installed, +set your PATH environment variable to C<$INST_TOP\bin>. -instead. To use the Perl you just installed, make sure you set your -PATH environment variable to C:\PERL\BIN (or D:\FOO\PERL\BIN). +=head2 Usage Hints -=back +=over 4 -=head2 Testing +=item Environment Variables -Type "nmake test". This will run most of the tests from the -testsuite (many tests will be skipped, and some tests will fail). -Most failures are due to UNIXisms in the standard perl testsuite. +The installation paths that you set during the build get compiled +into perl, so you don't have to do anything additional to start +using that perl (except add its location to your PATH variable). -To get a more detailed breakdown of the tests that failed, say: +If you put extensions in unusual places, you can set PERL5LIB +to a list of paths separated by semicolons where you want perl +to look for libraries. Look for descriptions of other environment +variables you can set in L. - cd ..\t - .\perl harness +You can also control the shell that perl uses to run system() and +backtick commands via PERL5SHELL. See L. -This should produce a summary very similar to the following: +Sometime in the future, some of the configuration information +for perl will be moved into the Windows registry. - Failed Test Status Wstat Total Fail Failed List of failed - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - io/fs.t 26 16 61.54% 1-5, 7-11, 16-18, 23-25 - io/tell.t 13 1 7.69% 10 - lib/anydbm.t 12 1 8.33% 2 - lib/findbin.t 1 1 100.00% 1 - lib/sdbm.t 12 1 8.33% 2 - op/mkdir.t 7 2 28.57% 3, 7 - op/runlevel.t 8 1 12.50% 4 - op/stat.t 56 3 5.36% 3-4, 20 - op/taint.t 98 20 20.41% 1-6, 14, 16, 19-21, 24, 26, 35-3 - pragma/locale.t 98 40 40.82% 1, 13-14, 21-27, 33, 39, 45-53, - Failed 10/149 test scripts, 93.29% okay. 86/3506 subtests failed, 97.55% okay. +=item File Globbing -Check if any additional tests other than the ones shown here -failed. The standard testsuite will ultimately be modified so -that the testsuite avoids running irrelevant tests on Win32. +By default, perl spawns an external program to do file globbing. +The install process installs both a perlglob.exe and a perlglob.bat +that perl can use for this purpose. Note that with the default +installation, perlglob.exe will be found by the system before +perlglob.bat. -=head1 BUGS AND CAVEATS +perlglob.exe relies on the argv expansion done by the C Runtime of +the particular compiler you used, and therefore behaves very +differently depending on the Runtime used to build it. To preserve +compatiblity, perlglob.bat (a perl script that can be used portably) +is installed. Besides being portable, perlglob.bat also offers +enhanced globbing functionality. + +If you want perl to use perlglob.bat instead of perlglob.exe, just +delete perlglob.exe from the install location (or move it somewhere +perl cannot find). Using File::DosGlob.pm (which implements the core +functionality of perlglob.bat) to override the internal CORE::glob() +works about 10 times faster than spawing perlglob.exe, and you should +take this approach when writing new modules. See File::DosGlob for +details. + +=item Using perl from the command line + +If you are accustomed to using perl from various command-line +shells found in UNIX environments, you will be less than pleased +with what Windows NT offers by way of a command shell. + +The crucial thing to understand about the "cmd" shell (which is +the default on Windows NT) is that it does not do any wildcard +expansions of command-line arguments (so wildcards need not be +quoted). It also provides only rudimentary quoting. The only +(useful) quote character is the double quote ("). It can be used to +protect spaces in arguments and other special characters. The +Windows NT documentation has almost no description of how the +quoting rules are implemented, but here are some general observations +based on experiments: The shell breaks arguments at spaces and +passes them to programs in argc/argv. Doublequotes can be used +to prevent arguments with spaces in them from being split up. +You can put a double quote in an argument by escaping it with +a backslash and enclosing the whole argument within double quotes. +The backslash and the pair of double quotes surrounding the +argument will be stripped by the shell. + +The file redirection characters "<", ">", and "|" cannot be quoted +by double quotes (there are probably more such). Single quotes +will protect those three file redirection characters, but the +single quotes don't get stripped by the shell (just to make this +type of quoting completely useless). The caret "^" has also +been observed to behave as a quoting character (and doesn't get +stripped by the shell also). + +Here are some examples of usage of the "cmd" shell: + +This prints two doublequotes: + + perl -e "print '\"\"' " + +This does the same: + + perl -e "print \"\\\"\\\"\" " + +This prints "bar" and writes "foo" to the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" > blurch + +This prints "foo" ("bar" disappears into nowhereland): + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2> nul + +This prints "bar" and writes "foo" into the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 1> blurch + +This pipes "foo" to the "less" pager and prints "bar" on the console: -This is still very much an experimental port, and should be considered -alpha quality software. You can expect changes in virtually all of -these areas: build process, installation structure, supported -utilities/modules, and supported perl functionality. Specifically, -functionality that supports the Win32 environment may be ultimately -be supported as either core modules or extensions. + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" | less -Many tests from the standard testsuite either fail or produce different -results under this port. Most of the problems fall under one of these -categories +This pipes "foo\nbar\n" to the less pager: + + perl -le "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2>&1 | less + +This pipes "foo" to the pager and writes "bar" in the file "blurch": + + perl -e "print 'foo'; print STDERR 'bar'" 2> blurch | less + + +Discovering the usefulness of the "command.com" shell on Windows95 +is left as an exercise to the reader :) + +=item Building Extensions + +The Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) offers a wealth +of extensions, some of which require a C compiler to build. +Look in http://www.perl.com/ for more information on CPAN. + +Most extensions (whether they require a C compiler or not) can +be built, tested and installed with the standard mantra: + + perl Makefile.PL + $MAKE + $MAKE test + $MAKE install + +where $MAKE stands for NMAKE or DMAKE. Some extensions may not +provide a testsuite (so "$MAKE test" may not do anything, or fail), +but most serious ones do. + +If a module implements XSUBs, you will need one of the supported +C compilers. You must make sure you have set up the environment for +the compiler for command-line compilation. + +If a module does not build for some reason, look carefully for +why it failed, and report problems to the module author. If +it looks like the extension building support is at fault, report +that with full details of how the build failed using the perlbug +utility. + +=item Win32 Specific Extensions + +A number of extensions specific to the Win32 platform are available +from CPAN. You may find that many of these extensions are meant to +be used under the Activeware port of Perl, which used to be the only +native port for the Win32 platform. Since the Activeware port does not +have adequate support for Perl's extension building tools, these +extensions typically do not support those tools either, and therefore +cannot be built using the generic steps shown in the previous section. + +To ensure smooth transitioning of existing code that uses the +Activeware port, there is a bundle of Win32 extensions that contains +all of the Activeware extensions and most other Win32 extensions from +CPAN in source form, along with many added bugfixes, and with MakeMaker +support. This bundle is available at: + + http://www.perl.com/CPAN/authors/id/GSAR/libwin32-0.09.tar.gz + +See the README in that distribution for building and installation +instructions. Look for later versions that may be available at the +same location. + +It is expected that authors of Win32 specific extensions will begin +distributing their work in MakeMaker compatible form subsequent to +the 5.004 release of perl, at which point the need for a dedicated +bundle such as the above should diminish. + +=item Running Perl Scripts + +Perl scripts on UNIX use the "#!" (a.k.a "shebang") line to +indicate to the OS that it should execute the file using perl. +Win32 has no comparable means to indicate arbitrary files are +executables. + +Instead, all available methods to execute plain text files on +Win32 rely on the file "extension". There are three methods +to use this to execute perl scripts: + +=over 8 + +=item 1 + +There is a facility called "file extension associations" that will +work in Windows NT 4.0. This can be manipulated via the two +commands "assoc" and "ftype" that come standard with Windows NT +4.0. Type "ftype /?" for a complete example of how to set this +up for perl scripts (Say what? You thought Windows NT wasn't +perl-ready? :). + +=item 2 + +Since file associations don't work everywhere, and there are +reportedly bugs with file associations where it does work, the +old method of wrapping the perl script to make it look like a +regular batch file to the OS, may be used. The install process +makes available the "pl2bat.bat" script which can be used to wrap +perl scripts into batch files. For example: + + pl2bat foo.pl + +will create the file "FOO.BAT". Note "pl2bat" strips any +.pl suffix and adds a .bat suffix to the generated file. + +If you use the 4DOS/NT or similar command shell, note that +"pl2bat" uses the "%*" variable in the generated batch file to +refer to all the command line arguments, so you may need to make +sure that construct works in batch files. As of this writing, +4DOS/NT users will need a "ParameterChar = *" statement in their +4NT.INI file, or will need to execute "setdos /p*" in the 4DOS/NT +startup file to enable this to work. + +=item 3 + +Using "pl2bat" has a few problems: the file name gets changed, +so scripts that rely on C<$0> to find what they must do may not +run properly; running "pl2bat" replicates the contents of the +original script, and so this process can be maintenance intensive +if the originals get updated often. A different approach that +avoids both problems is possible. + +A script called "runperl.bat" is available that can be copied +to any filename (along with the .bat suffix). For example, +if you call it "foo.bat", it will run the file "foo" when it is +executed. Since you can run batch files on Win32 platforms simply +by typing the name (without the extension), this effectively +runs the file "foo", when you type either "foo" or "foo.bat". +With this method, "foo.bat" can even be in a different location +than the file "foo", as long as "foo" is available somewhere on +the PATH. If your scripts are on a filesystem that allows symbolic +links, you can even avoid copying "runperl.bat". + +Here's a diversion: copy "runperl.bat" to "runperl", and type +"runperl". Explain the observed behavior, or lack thereof. :) +Hint: .gnidnats llits er'uoy fi ,"lrepnur" eteled :tniH + +=back + +=item Miscellaneous Things + +A full set of HTML documentation is installed, so you should be +able to use it if you have a web browser installed on your +system. + +C is also a useful tool for browsing information contained +in the documentation, especially in conjunction with a pager +like C (recent versions of which have Win32 support). You may +have to set the PAGER environment variable to use a specific pager. +"perldoc -f foo" will print information about the perl operator +"foo". + +If you find bugs in perl, you can run C to create a +bug report (you may have to send it manually if C cannot +find a mailer on your system). + +=back + +=head1 BUGS AND CAVEATS + +This port should be considered beta quality software at the present +time because some details are still in flux and there may be +changes in any of these areas: build process, installation structure, +supported utilities/modules, and supported perl functionality. +In particular, functionality specific to the Win32 environment may +ultimately be supported as either core modules or extensions. The +beta status implies, among other things, that you should be prepared +to recompile extensions when binary incompatibilites arise due to +changes in the internal structure of the code. + +An effort has been made to ensure that the DLLs produced by the two +supported compilers are compatible with each other (despite the +best efforts of the compiler vendors). Extension binaries produced +by one compiler should also coexist with a perl binary built by +a different compiler. In order to accomplish this, PERL.DLL provides +a layer of runtime code that uses the C Runtime that perl was compiled +with. Extensions which include "perl.h" will transparently access +the functions in this layer, thereby ensuring that both perl and +extensions use the same runtime functions. + +If you have had prior exposure to Perl on Unix platforms, you will notice +this port exhibits behavior different from what is documented. Most of the +differences fall under one of these categories. We do not consider +any of them to be serious limitations (especially when compared to the +limited nature of some of the Win32 OSes themselves :) =over 8 @@ -186,14 +495,19 @@ categories C and C functions may not behave as documented. They may return values that bear no resemblance to those reported on Unix -platforms, and some fields may be completely bogus. +platforms, and some fields (like the the one for inode) may be completely +bogus. =item * -The following functions are currently unavailable: C, C, -C, C, C, C, C, C, -C, C, C, C, -C, C, C. This list is possibly incomplete. +The following functions are currently unavailable: C, +C, C, C, C, C, +C and related security functions, C, +C, C, C, C, +C, C, C, C, C, +C<*netent()>, C<*protoent()>, C<*servent()>, C<*hostent()>, +C. +This list is possibly incomplete. =item * @@ -206,18 +520,20 @@ The four-argument C call is only supported on sockets. =item * -The behavior of C or the C operator (a.k.a. "backticks"), -when used to call interactive commands, is ill-defined. +The C call is only supported on sockets (where it provides the +functionality of ioctlsocket() in the Winsock API). =item * -C<$!> doesn't work reliably yet. +Failure to spawn() a subprocess is indicated by setting $? to "255 << 8". +C<$?> is set in a way compatible with Unix (i.e. the exitstatus of the +subprocess is obtained by "$? >> 8", as described in the documentation). =item * -Building modules available on CPAN is mostly supported, but this -hasn't been tested much yet. Expect strange problems, and be -prepared to deal with the consequences. +You can expect problems building modules available on CPAN if you +build perl itself with -DUSE_THREADS. These problems should be resolved +as we get closer to 5.005. =item * @@ -227,16 +543,26 @@ returned values or effects may be bogus. =item * -Signal handling may not behave as on Unix platforms. +Signal handling may not behave as on Unix platforms (where it +doesn't exactly "behave", either :). For instance, calling C +or C from signal handlers will cause an exception, since most +implementations of C on Win32 are severely crippled. +Thus, signals may work only for simple things like setting a flag +variable in the handler. Using signals under this port should +currently be considered unsupported. =item * -File globbing may not behave as on Unix platforms. - -=item * - -Not all of the utilities that come with the Perl distribution -are supported yet. +File globbing may not behave as on Unix platforms. In particular, +if you don't use perlglob.bat for globbing, it will understand +wildcards only in the filename component (and not in the pathname). +In other words, something like "print <*/*.pl>" will not print all the +perl scripts in all the subdirectories one level under the current one +(like it does on UNIX platforms). perlglob.exe is also dependent on +the particular implementation of wildcard expansion in the vendor +libraries used to build it (which varies wildly at the present time). +Using perlglob.bat (or File::DosGlob) avoids these limitations, but +still only provides DOS semantics (read "warts") for globbing. =back @@ -248,14 +574,16 @@ by C. =over 4 -=item Gary Ng > +Gary Ng E71564.1743@CompuServe.COME -=item Gurusamy Sarathy > +Gurusamy Sarathy Egsar@umich.eduE -=item Nick Ing-Simmons > +Nick Ing-Simmons Enick@ni-s.u-net.comE =back +This document is maintained by Gurusamy Sarathy. + =head1 SEE ALSO L @@ -269,7 +597,9 @@ at the time. Nick Ing-Simmons and Gurusamy Sarathy have made numerous and sundry hacks since then. -Last updated: 19 March 1997 +Borland support was added in 5.004_01 (Gurusamy Sarathy). + +Last updated: 3 January 1998 =cut