X-Git-Url: http://git.shadowcat.co.uk/gitweb/gitweb.cgi?a=blobdiff_plain;f=pod%2Fperlport.pod;h=9b81ca5d8b2aa132c66bb1d6038c284f0baa83d8;hb=20ba30f468d23a62870c0f5047a078529d917e5a;hp=e80f41ebd55c8f53f4bb3be81912ddcb8c0a108a;hpb=80cbd5adeb014f6842efb4d766e17b263c48ea6f;p=p5sagit%2Fp5-mst-13.2.git diff --git a/pod/perlport.pod b/pod/perlport.pod index e80f41e..9b81ca5 100644 --- a/pod/perlport.pod +++ b/pod/perlport.pod @@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ transferring or storing raw binary numbers. One can circumnavigate both these problems in two ways. Either transfer and store numbers always in text format, instead of raw binary, or else consider using modules like Data::Dumper (included in -the standard distribution as of Perl 5.005) and Storable. Keeping -all data as text significantly simplifies matters. +the standard distribution as of Perl 5.005) and Storable (included as +of perl 5.8). Keeping all data as text significantly simplifies matters. =head2 Files and Filesystems @@ -267,6 +267,13 @@ S perl can emulate Unix filenames with C as path separator, or go native and use C<.> for path separator and C<:> to signal filesystems and disk names. +Don't assume UNIX filesystem access semantics: that read, write, +and execute are all the permissions there are, and even if they exist, +that their semantics (for example what do r, w, and x mean on +a directory) are the UNIX ones. The various UNIX/POSIX compatibility +layers usually try to make interfaces like chmod() work, but sometimes +there simply is no good mapping. + If all this is intimidating, have no (well, maybe only a little) fear. There are modules that can help. The File::Spec modules provide methods to do the Right Thing on whatever platform happens @@ -352,6 +359,25 @@ file already tied or opened; C or C it first. Don't open the same file more than once at a time for writing, as some operating systems put mandatory locks on such files. +Don't assume that write/modify permission on a directory gives the +right to add or delete files/directories in that directory. That is +filesystem specific: in some filesystems you need write/modify +permission also (or even just) in the file/directory itself. In some +filesystems (AFS, DFS) the permission to add/delete directory entries +is a completely separate permission. + +Don't assume that a single C completely gets rid of the file: +some filesystems (most notably the ones in VMS) have versioned +filesystems, and unlink() removes only the most recent one (it doesn't +remove all the versions because by default the native tools on those +platforms remove just the most recent version, too). The portable +idiom to remove all the versions of a file is + + 1 while unlink "file"; + +This will terminate if the file is undeleteable for some reason +(protected, not there, and so on). + Don't count on a specific environment variable existing in C<%ENV>. Don't count on C<%ENV> entries being case-sensitive, or even case-preserving. Don't try to clear %ENV by saying C<%ENV = ();>, or, @@ -404,6 +430,14 @@ simple, platform-independent mailing. The Unix System V IPC (C) is not available even on all Unix platforms. +Do not use either the bare result of C or +bare v-strings (such as C) to represent IPv4 addresses: +both forms just pack the four bytes into network order. That this +would be equal to the C language C struct (which is what the +socket code internally uses) is not guaranteed. To be portable use +the routines of the Socket extension, such as C, +C, and C. + The rule of thumb for portable code is: Do it all in portable Perl, or use a module (that may internally implement it with platform-specific code, but expose a common interface). @@ -511,13 +545,31 @@ more efficient that the first. Most multi-user platforms provide basic levels of security, usually implemented at the filesystem level. Some, however, do -not--unfortunately. Thus the notion of user id, or "home" directory, +not-- unfortunately. Thus the notion of user id, or "home" directory, or even the state of being logged-in, may be unrecognizable on many platforms. If you write programs that are security-conscious, it is usually best to know what type of system you will be running under so that you can write code explicitly for that platform (or class of platforms). +Don't assume the UNIX filesystem access semantics: the operating +system or the filesystem may be using some ACL systems, which are +richer languages than the usual rwx. Even if the rwx exist, +their semantics might be different. + +(From security viewpoint testing for permissions before attempting to +do something is silly anyway: if one tries this, there is potential +for race conditions-- someone or something might change the +permissions between the permissions check and the actual operation. +Just try the operation.) + +Don't assume the UNIX user and group semantics: especially, don't +expect the C<< $< >> and C<< $> >> (or the C<$(> and C<$)>) to work +for switching identities (or memberships). + +Don't assume set-uid and set-gid semantics. (And even if you do, +think twice: set-uid and set-gid are a known can of security worms.) + =head2 Style For those times when it is necessary to have platform-specific code, @@ -532,7 +584,7 @@ often happens when tests spawn off other processes or call external programs to aid in the testing, or when (as noted above) the tests assume certain things about the filesystem and paths. Be careful not to depend on a specific output style for errors, such as when -checking C<$!> after an system call. Some platforms expect a certain +checking C<$!> after a system call. Some platforms expect a certain output format, and perl on those platforms may have been adjusted accordingly. Most specifically, don't anchor a regex when testing an error value. @@ -595,7 +647,7 @@ are a few of the more popular Unix flavors: Linux linux ppc-linux HP-UX hpux PA-RISC1.1 IRIX irix irix - Mac OS X rhapsody rhapsody + Mac OS X darwin darwin MachTen PPC machten powerpc-machten NeXT 3 next next-fat NeXT 4 next OPENSTEP-Mach @@ -663,17 +715,22 @@ often assume nothing about their data. The C<$^O> variable and the C<$Config{archname}> values for various DOSish perls are as follows: - OS $^O $Config{'archname'} - -------------------------------------------- - MS-DOS dos - PC-DOS dos - OS/2 os2 - Windows 95 MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 - Windows 98 MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 - Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 - Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-ALPHA - Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-ppc - Cygwin cygwin + OS $^O $Config{archname} ID Version + -------------------------------------------------------- + MS-DOS dos ? + PC-DOS dos ? + OS/2 os2 ? + Windows 3.1 ? ? 0 3 01 + Windows 95 MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 1 4 00 + Windows 98 MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 1 4 10 + Windows ME MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 1 ? + Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 2 4 xx + Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-ALPHA 2 4 xx + Windows NT MSWin32 MSWin32-ppc 2 4 xx + Windows 2000 MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 2 5 xx + Windows XP MSWin32 MSWin32-x86 2 ? + Windows CE MSWin32 ? 3 + Cygwin cygwin ? The various MSWin32 Perl's can distinguish the OS they are running on via the value of the fifth element of the list returned from @@ -784,14 +841,10 @@ the application or MPW tool version is running, check: $is_ppc = $MacPerl::Architecture eq 'MacPPC'; $is_68k = $MacPerl::Architecture eq 'Mac68K'; -S and S, based on NeXT's OpenStep OS, will -(in theory) be able to run MacPerl natively, under the "Classic" -environment. The new "Cocoa" environment (formerly called the "Yellow Box") -may run a slightly modified version of MacPerl, using the Carbon interfaces. - -S and its Open Source version, Darwin, both run Unix -perl natively (with a few patches). Full support for these -is slated for perl 5.6. +S, based on NeXT's OpenStep OS, runs MacPerl natively, under the +"Classic" environment. There is no "Carbon" version of MacPerl to run +under the primary Mac OS X environment. S and its Open Source +version, Darwin, both run Unix perl natively. Also see: @@ -799,15 +852,15 @@ Also see: =item * -The MacPerl Pages, http://www.macperl.com/ . +MacPerl Development, http://dev.macperl.org/ . =item * -The MacPerl mailing lists, http://www.macperl.org/ . +The MacPerl Pages, http://www.macperl.com/ . =item * -MacPerl Module Porters, http://pudge.net/mmp/ . +The MacPerl mailing lists, http://lists.perl.org/ . =back @@ -874,10 +927,11 @@ process on VMS, is a pure Perl module that can easily be installed on non-VMS platforms and can be helpful for conversions to and from RMS native formats. -What C<\n> represents depends on the type of file opened. It could -be C<\015>, C<\012>, C<\015\012>, or nothing. The VMS::Stdio module -provides access to the special fopen() requirements of files with unusual -attributes on VMS. +What C<\n> represents depends on the type of file opened. It usually +represents C<\012> but it could also be C<\015>, C<\012>, C<\015\012>, +C<\000>, C<\040>, or nothing depending on the file organiztion and +record format. The VMS::Stdio module provides access to the +special fopen() requirements of files with unusual attributes on VMS. TCP/IP stacks are optional on VMS, so socket routines might not be implemented. UDP sockets may not be supported. @@ -1387,6 +1441,17 @@ Implemented via Spawn. (VM/ESA) Does not automatically flush output handles on some platforms. (SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX) +=item exit EXPR + +=item exit + +Emulates UNIX exit() (which considers C to indicate an error) by +mapping the C<1> to SS$_ABORT (C<44>). This behavior may be overridden +with the pragma C. As with the CRTL's exit() +function, C is also mapped to an exit status of SS$_NORMAL +(C<1>); this mapping cannot be overridden. Any other argument to exit() +is used directly as Perl's exit status. (VMS) + =item fcntl FILEHANDLE,FUNCTION,SCALAR Not implemented. (Win32, VMS) @@ -1532,15 +1597,12 @@ Not implemented. (Plan9, Win32) =item getsockopt SOCKET,LEVEL,OPTNAME -Not implemented. (S, Plan9) +Not implemented. (Plan9) =item glob EXPR =item glob -Globbing built-in, but only C<*> and C metacharacters are supported. -(S) - This operator is implemented via the File::Glob extension on most platforms. See L for portability information. @@ -1555,8 +1617,10 @@ Available only for socket handles. (S) =item kill SIGNAL, LIST -Not implemented, hence not useful for taint checking. (S, -S) +C is implemented for the sake of taint checking; +use with other signals is unimplemented. (S) + +Not implemented, hence not useful for taint checking. (S) C doesn't have the semantics of C, i.e. it doesn't send a signal to the identified process like it does on Unix platforms. @@ -1609,8 +1673,6 @@ platforms. (SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX) =item pipe READHANDLE,WRITEHANDLE -Not implemented. (S) - Very limited functionality. (MiNT) =item readlink EXPR @@ -1621,11 +1683,11 @@ Not implemented. (Win32, VMS, S) =item select RBITS,WBITS,EBITS,TIMEOUT -Only implemented on sockets. (Win32) +Only implemented on sockets. (Win32, VMS) Only reliable on sockets. (S) -Note that the C form is generally portable. +Note that the C