This is a port of Perl 4.019 to MS-DOS using Borland C++ V3.0.  It will
NOT compile with versions of BC++ prior to 3.0.

The port is complete given the functionality of DOS versus UNIX.  Support
will be added in the future for ndbm() routines using GNU-ndbm (when I
get around to it !).

The port makes use of Borland's VROOM technology and pretty much *requires*
access to extended memory.  There is approx. 300+ Kbytes of memory available
for Perl scripts.  The amount of memory available can be checked using
two user subroutines added via Larry Wall's usersub.c hook.

	&heapfree()	- returns size of far heap in bytes
	&stkfree()	- returns size of free stack

The port also makes use of xspawn() (available from Simtel or Wuarchive
if you look hard enough) and will swap itself to either extended memory
or disk when Perl invokes the system() call.  This leaves about 605 Kbytes
of memory available for DOS apps on my 386 machine running DOS 5.0.

I've run this port of Perl against all the test cases supplied in the
normal Perl release.  They all work except those that call perl again
(not enough memory !) or have specific UNIX dependencies (that dont work
on DOS - too bad !).

I've only tested this port on 386 class machines; it should work just fine
on any machine with extended memory.  As per the Artistic and GNU licenses,
you get what you paid for and your on your own !


There are two files herein:

	bcdos_perl-4.019.zoo

		Contains all the source files as well as perl library.
		There are only one or two files that have changed from
		the standard 4.019 release (nice job lwall on portable
		code !).

	bcdos_perl-4.019E.zoo

		Contains the executeable for perl PERL.EXE and all the
		library files for perl.  If you don't intend to re-build
		PERL, then THIS IS THE FILE FOR YOU !


Nota bene re extended memory;

This port attempts to reserve 128K bytes of extended memory for the
VROOM arena; it will take more if it can get it but is reasonably frugal.
A 64K arena ran like a DOG so this is about the optimum size of memory
versus speed.

If you can run Windows on your machine then this port should run *just fine*.

Happy hacking !
Stuart G. Phillips N6TTO/G8HQA/DA4BM/OZ... (you get the idea)
[stu@tandem.com]