If you read this file _as_is_, just ignore the funny characters you
see. It is written in the POD format (see pod/perlpod.pod) which is
specially designed to be readable as is.

=head1 NAME

README.epoc - Perl for EPOC

=head1 SYNOPSIS

Perl 5 README file for the EPOC Release 5 operating system.

=head1 INTRODUCTION

EPOC is an OS for palmtops and mobile phones. For more informations look at:
http://www.symbian.com/

This is a port of perl to the epocemx SDK by Eberhard Mattes, which
itselfs uses the SDK by symbian. Essentially epocemx it is a POSIX
look alike environment for the EPOC OS. For more informations look at: 
http://www.windhager.de/~mattes/epocemx/

perl and epocemx runs on Epoc Release 5 machines: Psion 5mx, 5mx Pro,
Psion Revo, Psion Netbook and on the Ericson M128. It may run on Epoc
Release 3 Hardware (Series 5 classic), too. For more information about
this hardware please refer to http://www.psion.com/

Vendors which like to have support for their devices are free to send
me a sample. 

=head1 INSTALLING PERL ON EPOC

You can download a ready-to-install version from
http://www.science-computing.de/o.flebbe/perl/

You will need at least ~6MB free space in order to install and run
perl.

Please install the emxusr.sis package from
http://www.windhager.de/~mattes/epocemx/ first.

Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine. If you do not know how to do
that, consult your PsiWin documentation.

Perl itself and its standard library is using 4 MB disk space.
Unicode support and some other modules are left out. (For details,
please look into epoc/createpkg.pl). If you like to use these modules,
you are free to copy them from a current perl release.

=head1 STARTING PERL ON EPOC

Please use the epocemx shell to start perl. perl integrates with the
conventions of epocemx. 

=head2 Editors on Epoc

A suitable text editor can be downloaded from symbian
http://www.symbian.com/developer/downloads/files/editor.zip

=head2 Features of Perl on Epoc

The built-in function EPOC::getcwd returns the current directory.

=head2 Restrictions of Perl on Epoc

Features are left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX support in
EPOC:

=over 4

=item * 

socket IO is only implemented poorly. You can only use sysread and
syswrite on them. The commands read, write, print, <> do not work for
sockets. This may change iff epocemx supports sockets.

=item *

kill, alarm and signals. Do not try to use them. This may be
impossible to implement on EPOC.

=item *

select is missing.

=item *

binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)

=item *

EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
one) See PATH.

=item *

Heap is limited to 4MB.

=item *

Dynamic loading is not implemented.

=back

=head2 Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling environment

Sorry, this is far too short.

=over 4

=item *

You will need the epocemx SDK from Eberhard Mattes. 

=item *

Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.

=item *

Unpack the sources. 

=item *

Build a native perl from this sources... Make sure to save the
miniperl executable as miniperl.native.

Start again from scratch

      cp epoc/* .
      ./Configure -S
      make 
      cp miniperl.native miniperl
      touch miniperl.exe
      make
      perl createpkg.pl 

      emxsis perl.pkg perl.sis

=back

=head1 SUPPORT STATUS OF PERL ON EPOC

I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
guarantee I'll be able to answer them. Since the port to epocemx is
quite new, please check the web for updates first.

Very special thanks to Eberhard Mattes for epocemx.

=head1 AUTHOR

Olaf Flebbe <o.flebbe@science-computing.de>
http://www.science-computing.de/o.flebbe/perl/

=head1 LAST UPDATE

2002-03-26

=cut
