Subject: a049 PERL 5.001 - Language combining features of C, sed, awk & csh
From: "HENSA Archimedes moderator" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Jun 10 15:15:11 BST 1996

Perl is an interpreted language optimized for scanning arbitrary text files,
extracting information from those text files, and printing reports based on
that information.  It's also a good language for many system management tasks.
It combines some of the best features of C, sed, awk and sh, so people familiar
with those languages should have little difficulty with it.  Expression syntax
corresponds quite closely to C expression syntax.

This is the RISC OS port originally by Luke Taylor, extended and revised by
Steve Ellacott. These extensions include a port of the GNU gdbm database
manager (permitting associative arrays to be stored on disc) and access to the
RISCOS kernel.  Several serious bugs have been fixed and some test scripts are
included.  A manual in Impression format is also included.

The Perl package directory contains the file a049h.arc which is a !SrcEdit
format help file for the programming language Perl.  Although of greatest use
to people using !SrcEdit the file is useful for on-line help with any editor as
a search may be made for '%<keyword>' which will find the entry for <keyword>
if it exists.  Author: Ashley Oliver.  See HELPUPDATE (a289) for a utility to
convert to StrongHelp format.  This file covers Perl versions preceding 5.

perl5man.arc is a StrongHelp format help file.  It contains the complete
documentation for Perl 5.001, including everything you need in order to learn
how to program in Perl, in an easy-access form.  To read it, you will need
StrongHelp version 2.02, which is available in package d126.  Those using
StrongEd will be able to automatically get help on a function by pressing F1.
Conversion from POD to StrongHelp format by Michael Attenborough.

perlop.html is an HTML file describing the Perl operators.

It is available on-line, updating the previous release, as the files:
micros/arch/riscos/a/a049/perl5man.arc
micros/arch/riscos/a/a049/perlop.html
micros/arch/riscos/a/a049/a049h.arc
micros/arch/riscos/a/a049/perl.arc

----------------

You can get it by any method from HENSA, ftp or gopher are usually easiest. 
For instance, by anonymous ftp to micros.hensa.ac.uk. The relevant files
are given above.

However HENSA does not accept requests from outside the ac.uk domain between
the hours of 8.00 am and 8.00 pm UK time.

I also keep a copy on my ftp site: anonymous ftp to laplace.it.brighton.ac.uk
in the directory /pub/riscos/perl/. However this archive is in Spark format,
usually only found on the Acorn machines. (HENSA uses Zip.) If you do not
have access to a RiscOs machine, you may not be able to de-archive it. Also
this copy does not have all the help files that the HENSA version does.

If neither of these will do, let me know and I will try and send you a copy
somehow. It is too big to email, but perhaps I could put a gzipped version
on my server, or something.
 
-- 
Steve Ellacott
Dept. Math. Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, BN2 4GJ, UK
Tel: Home (01273) 885845             Office: (01273) 642544 or 642414
Fax: Home (01273) 270183             Office: (01273) 642544
WWW: http://www.maths-sci.it.brighton.ac/Staff/SWE.html