Martin P.J. Zinser wrote recently:
Hello,
!I am in contact with Hoff about submitting a few entries for the upcoming
!freeware CD. While discussing the feasability of getting some Perl Modules
!on it, we finally came to the conclusion that it would be best to have a
!full Perl Build on the CD. Given the fact that the deadline for
submissions
!is looming I tend to do a 5.8.0 build with a number of integrated modules.
!This opens two questions I hope you can help me with:
!
!1.) The list of modules I work with can be found at
! http://zinser.no-ip.info:8080/www/vms/sw/perl_mod.htmlx
! Are there any essentials/must-haves/really cool ones missing that
! I still should try to get up and running?
Err, you have VMS::Misc 1.01 listed twice - typo?
I would add some or all the following if possible:
Bit::Vector 6.3 (see http://search.cpan.org/author/STBEY/Bit-Vector-6.3/ )
Note that in order to get this to compile under DECC you will need to
apply a casename modification patch. Two were recently posted to the
vmsperl
list, one by Michael Schwern and another one by me (it does not appear that
Steffen
Beyer has released anything past version 6.3 at this time). The archives
of the
list should contain the patch. This modules is a pre-requisite for another
module Date::Calc.
Date::Calc 5.3 (see http://search.cpan.org/author/STBEY/Date-Calc-5.3/ )
You will need to have Bit::Vector already installed before building this
one.
Text::CSV_XS 0.23 ( see
http://search.cpan.org/author/JWIED/Text-CSV_XS-0.23/ )
rms 0.01 ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/JCTEBBAL/rms/ )
This is Jean-Claude Tebbal's RMS indexed file interface.
I realize that you intend to include VMS::IndexedFile which has
a more extensive interface, perhaps some folks would appreciate
the smaller more streamlined approach taken by Jean-Claude.
VMS::Logical 0.01 ( see
http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/mailing-lists/vmsperl/2002-09/msg00022.html )
This is Forrest Cahoon's $setlnm interface and it is very nice.
About the only thing it lacks is a create_table() call and a more
refined approach to $trnlnm. Unfortunately this vmsperl extension
has yet to make it to CPAN.
IO::Stringy 2.108 ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/ERYQ/IO-stringy-2.108
/ )
This is a pre-requisite for OLE::Storage_Lite.
OLE::Storage_Lite 0.11 ( see
http://search.cpan.org/author/KWITKNR/OLE-Storage_Lite-0.11/ )
This is a pre-requisite for Spreadsheet::ParseExcel.
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel 0.2602 (see
http://search.cpan.org/author/KWITKNR/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel-0.2602/ )
This is a pre-requisite for Unicode::Map which is deprecated in favor of
Unicode::Map8 which I think ships with the core.
URI 1.23 or 1.25 ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/GAAS/URI-1.25/ )
I know that URI 1.23 worked with perl 5.8.1 release candidates.
I have not yet tested the 1.25 release. It is a pre-requisite for libwww.
HTML::Tagset ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/SBURKE/HTML-Tagset-3.03/ )
A pre-req for HTML::Parser which is in turn a pre-req for libwww
HTML::Parser 3.28 or 3.31 ( see
http://search.cpan.org/author/GAAS/HTML-Parser-3.31/ )
I know that 3.28 tested ok with perl 5.8.1 release candidates. I
do not yet know the details for 3.31. This is a pre-req for libwww.
libwww-perl-5_69 ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/GAAS/libwww-perl-5.69/
)
I see some test failures with this module, but I cannot be sure that
they are not firewall or libnetcfg configuration related. This module
should
at least be worth trying.
VMS::Persona 1.01 ( see
http://search.cpan.org/author/DSUGAL/VMS_Persona-1_01/ )
I obtain trouble testing this, although I rarely run with IMPERSONATE
priv turned on. If I recall correctly it requires a tweak to either define
PERL_POLLUTE
or simply s/na/PL_na/ in the *.xs file. Note that it is limited to running
in
recent version of VMS only and I think only on Alpha (not VAX).
Pod2VMSHlp 1.02 ( see http://search.cpan.org/author/PVHP/Pod2VMSHlp-1.02/ )
This module and attendant utility scripts helps to turn pod into either
*.HLP and/or *.HLB or *.RNO for use with RUNOFF. VMS old timers
seem to like those formats. It could be updated to do a better job of
finding pod files in a PERL_ROOT - if only I had the time to pursue such.
There may be additional edits necessary to get some of the above
to work on vmsperl. Ask on the list if you encounter trouble.
!2.) hp requires someone to sign a release form for each piece of software
! on the CD (check http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/freeware/ for details).
! Now I might be preparing the kit for the CD, but I am certainly not
! one of the VMS Perl core developers. So, there are a number of
possibilites
! - I still sign the form, but qualify myself as something along the
! lines of "Member of the VMS Perl community"
If you post more than spam to vmsperl then you are a "Member of the
VMS Perl community" in good standing in my opinion. Go ahead and sign.
I too recommend the use of perl 5.8.1, or as close as you can get to it.
Unfortunately Red Hat Inc. got into "trouble" with the perl5-porters
community
not too long ago be including an RC3 on a Red Hat OS distribution
(5.6.1-rc3?).
But I would not let that scare you that was something of a different
situation.
If the deadline allows it then please try to take a later perl kit (RC5 is
on the
horizon, the actuall release of 5.8.1 should be "real soon").
Good luck and many thanks for making such an important contribution
to vmsperl.
Peter Prymmer
