From: Gurusamy Sarathy Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 11:00:00 +0000 (+1300) Subject: perlbug.pod for 5.004 X-Git-Url: http://git.shadowcat.co.uk/gitweb/gitweb.cgi?a=commitdiff_plain;h=3f4fc4634a226330cf98eab6871f26f45d52e425;p=p5sagit%2Fp5-mst-13.2.git perlbug.pod for 5.004 On Sun, 23 Feb 1997 15:06:24 MST, Tom Christiansen wrote: >Maybe this should talk more about the perlbug program, or be podfully >included in that script? > >--tom I've made some additions, along with a merge into utils/perlbug.PL. (I didn't see Tom(rootbeer)'s suggestion before making the patch, so that's not in.) I hope I got Kenneth right as the AUTHOR of perlbug. Do we need a `ln -s utils/perlbug pod/perlbug.pod` too? p5p-msgid: <199702240854.DAA27128@aatma.engin.umich.edu> --- diff --git a/installman b/installman index c5663dd..600a681 100755 --- a/installman +++ b/installman @@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'c2ph'); runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'h2ph'); runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'h2xs'); runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'perldoc'); +runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'perlbug'); runpod2man('utils', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'pl2pm'); runpod2man('x2p', $man1dir, $man1ext, 's2p'); runpod2man('x2p', $man1dir, $man1ext, 'a2p.pod'); diff --git a/utils/perlbug.PL b/utils/perlbug.PL index 9645195..33290d5 100644 --- a/utils/perlbug.PL +++ b/utils/perlbug.PL @@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ sub Send { I am terribly sorry, but I cannot find sendmail, or a close equivalent, and the perl package Mail::Send has not been installed, so I can't send your bug -report. We apologize for the inconveniencence. +report. We apologize for the inconvenience. So you may attempt to find some way of sending your message, it has been left in the file `$filename'. @@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ be needed. Usage: $0 [-v] [-a address] [-s subject] [-b body | -f file ] - [-r returnaddress] [-e editor] [-c adminaddress | -C] [-S] [-t] + [-r returnaddress] [-e editor] [-c adminaddress | -C] [-S] [-t] [-h] Simplest usage: run "$0", and follow the prompts. @@ -757,6 +757,7 @@ Options: -d Data mode (the default if you redirect or pipe output.) This prints out your configuration data, without mailing anything. You can use this with -v to get more complete data. + -h Print this help message. EOF } @@ -777,8 +778,217 @@ format STDOUT = ^<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ~~ $_ . + +__END__ + +=head1 NAME + +perlbug - how to submit bug reports on Perl + +=head1 SYNOPSIS + +B S<[ B<-v> ]> S<[ B<-a> I

]> S<[ B<-s> I ]> +S<[ B<-b> I | B<-f> I ]> S<[ B<-r> I ]> +S<[ B<-e> I ]> S<[ B<-c> I | B<-C> ]> +S<[ B<-S> ]> S<[ B<-t> ]> S<[ B<-d> ]> S<[ B<-h> ]> + +=head1 DESCRIPTION + +A program to help generate bug reports about perl or the modules that +come with it, and mail them. + +If you have found a bug with a non-standard port (one that was not part +of the I), a binary distribution, or a +non-standard module (such as Tk, CGI, etc), then please see the +documentation that came with that distribution to determine the correct +place to report bugs. + +C is designed to be used interactively. Normally no arguments +will be needed. Simply run it, and follow the prompts. + +If you are unable to run B (most likely because you don't have +a working setup to send mail that perlbug recognizes), you may have to +compose your own report, and email it to B. You might +find the B<-d> option useful to get summary information in that case. + +In any case, when reporting a bug, please make sure you have run through +this checklist: + +=over 4 + +=item What version of perl you are running? + +Type C at the command line to find out. + +=item Are you running the latest released version of perl? + +Look at http://www.perl.com/ to find out. If it is not the latest +released version, get that one and see whether your bug has been +fixed. Note that bug reports about old versions of perl, especially +those prior to the 5.0 release, are likely to fall upon deaf ears. +You are on your own if you continue to use perl1 .. perl4. + +=item Are you sure what you have is a bug? + +A significant number of the bug reports we get turn out to be documented +features in perl. Make sure the behavior you are witnessing doesn't fall +under that category, by glancing through the documentation that comes +with perl (we'll admit this is no mean task, given the sheer volume of +it all, but at least have a look at the sections that I relevant). + +Be aware of the familiar traps that perl programmers of various hues +fall into. See perltrap(1). + +Try to study the problem under the perl debugger, if necessary. +See perldebug(1). + +=item Do you have a proper test case? + +The easier it is to reproduce your bug, the more likely it will be +fixed, because if no one can duplicate the problem, no one can fix it. +A good test case has most of these attributes: fewest possible number +of lines; few dependencies on external commands, modules, or +libraries; runs on most platforms unimpeded; and is self-documenting. + +A good test case is almost always a good candidate to be on the perl +test suite. If you have the time, consider making your test case so +that it will readily fit into the standard test suite. + +=item Can you describe the bug in plain English? + +The easier it is to understand a reproducible bug, the more likely it +will be fixed. Anything you can provide by way of insight into the +problem helps a great deal. In other words, try to analyse the +problem to the extent you feel qualified and report your discoveries. + +=item Can you fix the bug yourself? + +A bug report which I will almost +definitely be fixed. Use the C program to generate your patches +(C is being maintained by the GNU folks as part of the B +package, so you should be able to get it from any of the GNU software +repositories). If you do submit a patch, the cool-dude counter at +perlbug@perl.com will register you as a savior of the world. Your +patch may be returned with requests for changes, or requests for more +detailed explanations about your fix. + +Here are some clues for creating quality patches: Use the B<-c> or +B<-u> switches to the diff program (to create a so-called context or +unified diff). Make sure the patch is not reversed (the first +argument to diff is typically the original file, the second argument +your changed file). Make sure you test your patch by applying it with +the C program before you send it on its way. Try to follow the +same style as the code you are trying to patch. Make sure your patch +really does work (C, if the thing you're patching supports +it). + +=item Can you use C to submit the report? + +B will, amongst other things, ensure your report includes +crucial information about your version of perl. If C is unable +to mail your report after you have typed it in, you may have to compose +the message yourself, add the output produced by C and email +it to B. If, for some reason, you cannot run +C at all on your system, be sure to include the entire output +produced by running C (note the uppercase V). + +=back + +Having done your bit, please be prepared to wait, to be told the bug +is in your code, or even to get no reply at all. The perl maintainers +are busy folks, so if your problem is a small one or if it is +difficult to understand, they may not respond with a personal reply. +If it is important to you that your bug be fixed, do monitor the +C file in any development releases since the time you submitted +the bug, and encourage the maintainers with kind words (but never any +flames!). Feel free to resend your bug report if the next released +version of perl comes out and your bug is still present. + +=head1 OPTIONS + +=over 8 + +=item -a + +Address to send the report to. Defaults to `perlbug@perl.com'. + +=item -b + +Body of the report. If not included on the command line, or +in a file with -f, you will get a chance to edit the message. + +=item -C + +Don't send copy to administrator. + +=item -c + +Address to send copy of report to. Defaults to the address of the +local perl administrator (recorded when perl was built). + +=item -d + +Data mode (the default if you redirect or pipe output). This prints out +your configuration data, without mailing anything. You can use this +with -v to get more complete data. + +=item -e + +Editor to use. + +=item -f + +File containing the body of the report. Use this to quickly send a +prepared message. + +=item -h + +Prints a brief summary of the options. + +=item -r + +Your return address. The program will ask you to confirm its default +if you don't use this option. + +=item -S + +Send without asking for confirmation. + +=item -s + +Subject to include with the message. You will be prompted if you don't +supply one on the command line. + +=item -t + +Test mode. The target address defaults to `perlbug-test@perl.com'. + +=item -v + +Include verbose configuration data in the report. + +=back + +=head1 AUTHORS + +Kenneth Albanowski , subsequently Itored by +Gurusamy Sarathy (Egsar@umich.eduE), Tom Christiansen +(Etchrist@perl.comE), and Nathan Torkington +(Egnat@frii.comE). + +=head1 SEE ALSO + +perl(1), perldebug(1), perltrap(1), diff(1), patch(1) + +=head1 BUGS + +None known (guess what must have been used to report them?) + +=cut + !NO!SUBS! close OUT or die "Can't close $file: $!"; chmod 0755, $file or die "Can't reset permissions for $file: $!\n"; exec("$Config{'eunicefix'} $file") if $Config{'eunicefix'} ne ':'; +