using modules based on platform

[arcnon]

what is the best stradigy to use modules and the like based on platform?

ie
use Term::ANSIColor qwconstants);
unix & os x

use Win32::Console::ANSI;
windows also requires this to display ansii color

I am using Config & $^O to determine the platform and use ifs to use certain platform specific modules.

I am sure that there must be a better cleaner way.
Either a setup script that hard codes it to a specific platform or something that I haven't thought of.

what do you guys think?

 

[MikeLacey]

Hi,

In the past I've done it exactly as you describe.

You could, as you say, write a setup script that creates a platform specific Perl script based on what platform it finds itself running on. I can't think why you'd do that though, it just adds complexity.

Mike

http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

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[dmazzini]

Multi-platform support makes Perl more powerful and portable than many other languages..

I remember that I did not believe the first time that I was using Tk under windows and when I copy the script to an Unix Serves it works as a champion just changing some libraries and paths.

As Mike say adding "this feature" you are adding more complexity and extra-hard-work to your script. But, probably you are doing it for an specific purpose.

Things like these are valid:

($^O =~ /Win/ ) ? system("notepad.exe $DateTime") : system( "/usr/dt/bin/dtpad -standAlone -noReadOnlyWarning -viewOnly $DateTime \&" );

$SCRIPTPATH = "/m/home/dmazzini" if ($^O !~ /Win/ );

Cheers!





dmazzini
GSM System and Telecomm Consultant

 

[MikeLacey]

The trick to making Mult-platform code work for you is, imho, to push the platform dependant code down into re-usable modules which are then called by your application scripts.

So in dmazzini's example above the code that evaluates which platform it is running on "($^O =~ /Win/ ) ?" would be in a module.

Mike

http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

shows ways to help with Tsunami Relief.

You cannot really appreciate Dilbert unless you've read it in the
original Klingon.

Want great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at faq219-2884