VMS POD updates: perlport.pod, vmsperl.pod

From: "John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw@qsl.net>
Message-ID: <474A2720.9040106@qsl.net>

p4raw-id: //depot/perl@32492

diff --git a/pod/perlport.pod b/pod/perlport.pod
index 1b95025..afcad4d 100644 (file)
--- a/pod/perlport.pod
+++ b/pod/perlport.pod
@@ -433,6 +433,16 @@ if you really have to, make it conditional on C<$^O ne 'VMS'> since in
 VMS the C<%ENV> table is much more than a per-process key-value string
 table.
 
+On VMS, some entries in the %ENV hash are dynamically created when
+their key is used on a read if they did not previously exist.  The
+values for C<$ENV{HOME}>, C<$ENV{TERM}>, C<$ENV{HOME}>, and C<$ENV{USER}>,
+are known to be dynamically generated.  The specific names that are
+dynamically generated may vary with the version of the C library on VMS,
+and more may exist than is documented.
+
+On VMS by default, changes to the %ENV hash are persistent after the process
+exits.  This can cause unintended issues.
+
 Don't count on signals or C<%SIG> for anything.
 
 Don't count on filename globbing.  Use C<opendir>, C<readdir>, and
@@ -2031,7 +2041,10 @@ not performing this operation. (Win32)
 
 =item symlink
 
-Not implemented. (Win32, VMS, S<RISC OS>)
+Not implemented. (Win32, S<RISC OS>)
+
+Implemented on 64 bit VMS 8.3.  VMS requires the symbolic link to be in Unix
+syntax if it is intended to resolve to a valid path.
 
 =item syscall
 

diff --git a/vms/perlvms.pod b/vms/perlvms.pod
index 1163424..02b16dd 100644 (file)
--- a/vms/perlvms.pod
+++ b/vms/perlvms.pod
@@ -593,11 +593,10 @@ not been specifically tested.)
 
    statvfs, socketpair
 
-The following functions are expected to soon be available on Perls built
-on 64 bit OpenVMS 8.2 or later with the RMS Symbolic link package.  Use
-of symbolic links at this time effectively requires the
-DECC$POSIX_COMPLIANT_PATHNAMES to defined as 3, and operating in a
-DECC$FILENAME_UNIX_REPORT mode.
+The following functions are available on Perls built on 64 bit OpenVMS 8.3.
+The target for a symbolic link needs to be in Unix format if it is intended to
+resolve to a valid path.  The POSIX root must also be set up and there must be
+a path from that POSIX root to the symbolic link target.
 
     lchown, link, lstat, readlink, symlink