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<?xml version="1.0"?> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1"> <head> <title>perlwin32faq3 - Documentation and Support</title> <link rev="made" href="mailto:bjepson@debian.ids.net" /> <meta name="GENERATOR" charset="iso-8859-1" /> <link rel="STYLESHEET" href="../win32prk.css" type="text/css" media="screen" /> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff">  <table width="100%"> <tr> <td bgcolor="000000" width="70" height="31"><a href= "http://www.activestate.com/"><img src="ASbutton.gif" alt= "ActiveState Home Page" border="0" width="68" height= "30" /></a></td> <td width="10" bgcolor="#ffffff"> </td> <td valign="middle" bgcolor="#cc0066"> Win32 FAQ</td> </tr> </table>  <ul> <li><a href="#NAME">NAME</a></li> <li> <a href="#DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a> <ul> <li><a href="#Where_can_I_get_documentation_on">Where can I get documentation on Perl for Win32?</a></li> <li><a href="#What_kind_of_documentation_comes">What kind of documentation comes with Perl for Win32?</a></li> <li><a href="#Is_there_formal_support_for_Perl">Is there formal support for Perl for Win32 or PerlIS?</a></li> <li><a href="#Are_there_information_sources_av">Are there information sources available on Perl for Win32 on the</a></li> <li><a href="#Is_there_a_mailing_list_for_Perl">Is there a mailing list for Perl for Win32 or Perl for ISAPI?</a></li> <li><a href="#Is_there_a_Usenet_newsgroup_devo">Is there a Usenet newsgroup devoted to Perl for Win32 issues?</a></li> <li><a href="#Is_there_a_FAQ_for_Perl_for_Win3">Is there a FAQ for Perl for Win32?</a></li> <li><a href="#How_do_I_report_a_bug_in_Perl_fo">How do I report a bug in Perl for Win32?</a></li> <li><a href="#What_is_HtmlHelp_">What is HtmlHelp?</a></li> <li><a href="#Can_I_ask_a_question_or_">Can I ask a question? ... or ... How do I ask a question?</a></li> <li><a href="#Are_there_any_live_chats_where_I">Are there any live chats where I can talk about Perl stuff?</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#AUTHOR_AND_COPYRIGHT">AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT</a></li> </ul>  <hr /> <h1><a name="NAME">NAME</a></h1> perlwin32faq3 - Documentation and Support <hr /> <h1><a name="DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a></h1> Perl for Win32 Documentation and Support <hr /> <h2><a name="Where_can_I_get_documentation_on">Where can I get documentation on Perl for Win32?</a></h2> Documentation for Perl for Win32 is provided in HTML and HTMLHelp formats in the Html and HtmlHelp directories under your perl directory. This has the documentation from the standard perl distribution, as well as documentation for Win32-specific extensions. For more information on Win32-specific extensions, see <a href= "perlwin32faq9.html#What_modules_come_with_the_Perl_">What modules come with the Perl for Win32 distribution?</a>. Note that the standard perl distribution documentation (perl*.htm) has some UNIX-specific information, and lists some features/functions that will not work on Perl for Win32. The perlwin32 and perlport pages discuss the portability issues under the Win32 platform. You can also read the Perl documentation with the perldoc command. At the command prompt, type perldoc followed by the name of the document you want to read, as in: <pre> perldoc perlwin32 perldoc perlfaq </pre> Documentation is provided in the binary distributions (it is created during install), and can be created by install or it can be made by ``make installhtml'' in the source distribution. <hr /> <h2><a name="What_kind_of_documentation_comes">What kind of documentation comes with Perl for Win32?</a></h2> Perl for Win32 comes with the standard Perl documentation, as well as Win32 specific additions. Documentation is also available for all Core modules. Additional documentation is available from the Perl Resource Kit for Win32 from O'Reilly. It has full documentation for Perl and for the modules and utilities in both HTML (for users of Netscape and other browsers) and in Microsoft's new Help format, HtmlHelp (for MSIE 4.0 users). Documentation is also available in POD (Plain Old Documentation), Perl's documentation format. Also, when you add a module package through the Perl Package Manager or Visual Package Manager, the documentation for that module is installed on your system. This documentation is provided in HTMLHelp, HTML, and POD format (if POD documentation is embedded in the module). <hr /> <h2><a name="Is_there_formal_support_for_Perl">Is there formal support for Perl for Win32 or PerlIS?</a></h2> Peer support is available from the Perl related mailing lists that ActiveState hosts. You can find more information on these mailing lists at <a href= "http://www.activestate.com/support/"> http://www.ActiveState.com/support/</a> For mission critical support, please consult the Perl Clinic at <a href="http://www.perlclinic.com/"> http://www.PerlClinic.com</a> The Perl Clinic offers fee-based support for all of your Perl ailments. <hr /> <h2><a name="Are_there_information_sources_av">Are there information sources available on Perl for Win32 on the World Wide Web?</a></h2> There are several web pages devoted to Perl for Win32. Here is a short listing: <ul> <li> <a href="http://www.activestate.com/"> http://www.ActiveState.com/</a> - The Perl for Win32 home page </li> <li> <a href="http://www.activestate.com/support/"> http://www.ActiveState.com/support</a> - Introductory information, FAQs, mailing lists, and more. </li> <li> <a href="http://www.divinf.it/dada/perl/"> http://www.divinf.it/dada/perl</a> - Aldo Calpini's page, which includes many links, modules for Win32, and more. </li> <li> <a href= "http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/8312/"> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/8312/</a> - Robin Chatterjee's Perl for Win32 page, which includes FAQs, links, etc. </li> <li> <a href="http://www.netaxs.com/~joc/perlwin32.html"> http://www.netaxs.com/~joc/perlwin32.html</a> - Joe's Perl for Win32 Page, which has general information, pointers to modules, etc. </li> </ul> <hr /> <h2><a name="Is_there_a_mailing_list_for_Perl">Is there a mailing list for Perl for Win32 or Perl for ISAPI?</a></h2> ActiveState hosts a variety of mailing lists for the Perl for Win32 community. More information can be found at <a href= "http://www.activestate.com/support/mailing_lists.htm"> http://www.activestate.com/support/mailing_lists.htm</a> Archives of the mailing lists can also be found on the ActiveState web site. You should check the archives or a FAQ like this (see <a href= "#Is_there_a_FAQ_for_Perl_for_Win3">Is there a FAQ for Perl for Win32?</a>) before posting a question to the mailing list. List members are mostly overworked programmers and admins like yourself. So, for best results, be courteous, specific, and show that you really have tried to figure out your problems for yourself. <hr /> <h2><a name="Is_there_a_Usenet_newsgroup_devo">Is there a Usenet newsgroup devoted to Perl for Win32 issues?</a></h2> Not yet. You can use comp.lang.perl.misc for miscellaneous Perl questions, but the members of most Usenet Perl newsgroups tend to concentrate on UNIX platforms and may not be much help. Try the perl-win32-users mailing list (see <a href="#Is_there_a_mailing_list_for_Perl">Is there a mailing list for Perl for Win32 or PerlIS?</a>) for more specific Win32 information. For web server setup and CGI programming, try one of the following three newsgroups: <pre> comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows comp.infosystems.www.authoring.cgi comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc </pre> <hr /> <h2><a name="Is_there_a_FAQ_for_Perl_for_Win3">Is there a FAQ for Perl for Win32?</a></h2> You are reading one of them. Also, Perl is shipped with the main PerlFAQ inside the help system, which is over a hundred pages long and split into several parts. Robin Chatterjee's Perl for Win32 page contains frequently asked questions and copies of the perl-win32-users mailing list responses to them: <pre> <a href= "http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/8312/">http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/8312/</a> </pre> <hr /> <h2><a name="How_do_I_report_a_bug_in_Perl_fo">How do I report a bug in Perl for Win32?</a></h2> The ActiveState bug reporting system can be found at <a href="http://www.activestate.com/bugs/"> http://www.ActiveState.com/bugs</a> Before you report a bug to this location, you need to do several things: <ul> <li> Make sure it's a real bug, and not a logic error in your program. </li> <li> Make sure it's a real bug, and not just a misunderstanding about how Perl works. Check the mailing list archives and FAQs, so you can see if someone else has come across this problem. ALWAYS do this first, even if you are otherwise certain that it is a real bug. Most bugs reported to ActiveState are not bugs and could be solved by looking through the list archives or FAQs. </li> <li> You can also use www.dejanews.com to search comp.lang.perl.misc. If this is a problem that has been discussed in the newsgroup, your answer may be there. After exhausting these possibilities, you may want to post to one of the mailing lists to see if other people might have an answer. See also <a href="#Can_I_ask_a_question_or_">Can I ask a question? ... or ... How do I ask a question?</a>. </li> <li> You should check the bug list to see if your bug has already been reported or fixed. </li> <li> You need to be able to reproduce the bug. If it just happens once, then it is not a bug. This needs to be clear: if it can't be repeated then it is not a bug. </li> <li> Create a short, simple script as an example of the bug. Do not send the original source code as your example - do what you can to reduce the example to the smallest possible case. This process has been known to reveal errors that have been cleverly masquerading as bugs. </li> <li> It should not be necessary to do much setup for ActiveState bug testers to reproduce your bug. If setup or example data files are required, prepare simple instructions. </li> <li> Once all this is done, you should send your bug report to ActiveState, stating clearly the nature of the bug, how to reproduce it, and what platform, operating system, and perl version is causing the problem. Remember that your goal is to give ActiveState enough information to reproduce the bug. If it is not reproducible, it can't be considered a bug. </li> <li> You should get email about the status of your bug as it goes through the process of verification and fixing. </li> <li> Do not submit the same bug more than once. </li> </ul> <hr /> <h2><a name="What_is_HtmlHelp_">What is HtmlHelp?</a></h2> HtmlHelp is Microsoft's new help file format. Its .CHM files replace the old .HLP files. The difference is that HtmlHelp is easier to work with (no RTF converters and stuff), and it can contain anything that can be contained in a simple HTML document, including Scripts, applets, styles, and of course, cool HTML. ActiveState has adopted the HtmlHelp format for its online documentation for Perl for Win32. This means that Perl's documentation for Win32 has come of age and is an entity of its own. Perl help is now searchable by keyword, and is easily extended every time you add a package with the Package Manager tool. <hr /> <h2><a name="Can_I_ask_a_question_or_">Can I ask a question? ... or ... How do I ask a question?</a></h2> The etiquette for question asking is about the same whether you're working with mailing lists, newsgroups, chatrooms, or IRC channels. Here are some pointers that will help you get your questions answered. <ul> <li> Do your own study before you ask a question. Buy a book (or more than one... O'Reilly has lots to choose from), read the online help, and search the web for yourself. If you don't have time to try to find find the answer yourself, these folks won't have time to answer you. </li> <li> Check the FAQ first - if the question has already been answered in the FAQ, you may not get an answer to it if you ask it in a public forum. </li> <li> Never ask, ``Can I ask a question?'', because that is a sure sign that the person doing the asking is a newbie. People on IRC and newsgroups get bored with newbies because they always seem to ask and never seem to do their own study. </li> <li> Read the mailing list or newsgroup for a while before you ask a question. If you need to ask a question immediately, and you've never read the newsgroup or mailing list, read the mailing list archives or use www.dejanews.com to read old messages posted to the newsgroup. This will familiarize you with the way people ask questions in the particular newsgroup or mailing list you want to post to. If your question has come up before, there is a good chance it has been answered before - the newsgroup or mailing list archives will turn up these answers if you search them carefully. </li> <li> Ask your question directly. Plan your question beforehand, then just come right out and ask it. It might seem rude just to blurt out a question like that, but it's the way it's done. </li> </ul> <hr /> <h2><a name="Are_there_any_live_chats_where_I">Are there any live chats where I can talk about Perl stuff?</a></h2> For live chat/help for Win32 Perl you should try out the channel <code>#perl_win32</code> on the UnderNet on IRC. This is a relatively new channel, but it is growing and has an open discussion policy (you can talk about anything related to Perl). The channel is owned and maintained by David Grove (pete@dave-world.net). For UNIX or more general perl programming discussion, you can try out <code>#perl</code> on EFNet (the big one) and UnderNet. Be careful of EFNet <code> #perl</code> though. There are a number of discussion topics that are not tolerated there: Win32-specific Perl issues, non-programmer questions (e.g., I just downloaded this neat script - how do I make it work?), and CGI/WWW programming. EFNet <code>#perl</code> is a good place to meet some Perl masters, however, like Tom Christiansen (tchrist) and Randall Schwartz (q[merlyn]). I've never seen Larry on there but I'm told he does come on from time to time. In any of these IRC channels, you need to do your own work, and try to solve your own problems. Don't go in expecting someone to look over some neat script you downloaded and want to get working if you ``just want it to work and don't have time to learn perl''. That kind of attitude is an easy way to get banned from the channel. The members of these channels are overworked Perl programmers with little tolerance for people who want others to do their work for them. After you ask a question, you should stick around and chat for a while. It's polite, and a very good way to learn ``perl style'', or how perl programmers think about everyday things. <hr /> <h1><a name="AUTHOR_AND_COPYRIGHT">AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT</a></h1> This FAQ was originally assembled and maintained by Evangelo Prodromou. <a href= "mailto:evangelo@endcontsw.com">evangelo@endcontsw.com.</a> It has been revised and updated by Brian Jepson of O'Reilly and Associates, and David Grove and David Dmytryshyn of ActiveState. This FAQ is in the public domain. If you use it, however, please ensure that you give credit to the original authors.  <table width="100%"> <tr> <td bgcolor="000000" width="70" height="31"><a href= "http://www.activestate.com/"><img src="ASbutton.gif" alt= "ActiveState Home Page" border="0" width="68" height= "30" /></a></td> <td width="10"> </td> <td valign="middle" bgcolor="#cc0066"> Win32 FAQ</td> </tr> </table>  </body> </html>