Perl Dev Kit User Guide

ActiveState's Perl Dev Kit gives Perl developers all the tools for rapid development and delivery of Perl applications.

Deployment tools

• PerlApp Turn Perl programs into ready-to-run executables. The PerlApp utility binds Perl scripts and required libraries with a binary loader that runs the script. PerlApp can be used to build dependent applications, which require an existing Perl installation on the target computer, or freestanding applications, which run on a target computer that does not have Perl installed.
• PerlCtrl Build ActiveX controls on Windows with Perl. These controls are packaged as DLLs and can be used in any language that supports ActiveX components. You can build a dependent control, which requires an existing Perl installation on the target computer, or a freestanding control, which runs on a target computer that does not have Perl installed.
• PerlMSI Use Perl programs to create Microsoft MSI installation files. With PerlMSI, you can create custom dialog boxes, shortcuts, registry entries, and more. MSI installation files can be deployed on Windows Me, 2000 and XP systems; on systems running Windows 98 or NT, you must first install the Microsoft Windows MSI Installer.
• PerlNET PerlNET lets you create Perl components and applications that are compliant with Microsoft's .NET Framework. You can also use PerlNET to extend existing .NET components with Perl, or wrap Perl modules into .NET components.
• PerlSvc Convert Perl programs into Windows services. Build dependent services, which require an existing Perl installation on the target computer, or freestanding services, which run on a target computer that does not have Perl installed. PerlSvc binds the script with a binary loader; the resultant executables run as a service under Windows NT, 2000 and XP.
• PerlTray Write Windows system tray applications in Perl. Build dependent applications, which require an existing Perl installation on the target computer, or freestanding applications, which run on a target computer that does not have Perl installed.

Productivity tools

• Coverage and Hotspot Analyzer is a tool for testing Perl code. Code coverage mode allows you to find out which parts of your code are actually run during tests. Hotspot mode shows you which parts are used the most. Projects can be created containing multiple "experiments" (e.g. performing the same test on a changing codebase) which can be compared against each other to show coverage or highlight hotspots.
• Filter Builder is a graphical tool used to construct filters that match strings or Perl5 regular expressions in text based input files, such as log and XML files. You can also alter the contents of files by using the Filter Builder to specify replacement criteria to apply to the input. Filters created with the Filter Builder can be saved as Perl scripts and run from the command line.
• Graphical Debugger Painless, simple debugging for Perl scripts. ActiveState's Perl Debugger supports remote debugging, allowing you to debug scripts running on a remote machine (any platform running Perl 5.005_03 or later) from your Windows desktop. Whether debugging local or remote programs, the debugger's intuitive graphical interface makes debugging Perl scripts simpler by offering quick views of variables and expressions.
• PerlCritic is an interface for checking your Perl sources against policies which outline Perl best practices and coding standards. Choose the policies that you want to use and the sources you want to check, then run the tests and review the detailed criticisms for each policy violation.
• VBScript Converter is a graphical tool for Windows that translates VBScript code to its functional equivalent in Perl. The converter, which can also be run from the command line as vbsperl, simplifies tasks such as generating Perl code from VBScript snippets found on the internet and converting snippets of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code generated by macro recorders in Microsoft Office programs to Perl code for use in a separate application.