Hello Friends:
Since Tracy Johnson brought up our name in his initial message, I
thought I'd show my source on my report that "Perl will be supported
on the HP 3000." Tracy just gave a summary, but our FlashPaper item
said that "Perl is going to cost something to be supported," and then
added that "Official HP support is currently planned for a future
release of Perl, to be bundled with a future release of the
extra-cost HP WebWise MPE/iX Secure Web Server product."
My sources are from HP only, and CSY in particular. It's information
from the Web page that carried CSY's replies to questions its
customers asked during the next-to-last Webcast (that's the May 15
one).
A few weeks after the Webcast, HP posted this text, replying to
questions about supporting Perl:
"Perl 5.6.0 is available today as unsupported freeware from
www.bixby.org/mark/perlix.html. HP is currently working on porting
5.6.1 as unsupported freeware, and will submit the MPE changes from
that code base forward into what will become Perl 5.7.x."
Okay friends, now here's the evidence from HP that I interpreted to
mean Perl support for the e3000 is more than "a consideration." The
HP quote is:
"Official HP support is currently planned for a future release of
Perl, to be bundled with a future release of the extra-cost HP
WebWise MPE/iX Secure Web Server product."
Note the similarity of the HP quote to what we reported in the FlashPaper.
So what? Well, it's possible that the information on the HP Web site
was drawn up by somebody in CSY marketing, unaware of the latest lab
plans. Certainly the engineers under Dave Wilde's command (including
Mark Bixby) will have the last word on what's being worked on. But it
seemed clear to me that support that's "official" and "currently
planned" was a step forward beyond the customary "we will see if our
customers think this should be done" phase of new software's lifespan
on the 3000.
More than once in this journalism business I have to read tea leaves
to figure out what will happen. But I didn't think there was anything
fuzzy in the bottom of this cup. I thought I understood that when
something was planned, it was gonna be done. What is not known at
that stage is when the work begins, or will be completed. The
lab-speak I understood goes in these steps: considered, planned,
staffed, completed, tested, released. Getting from step one to step
two is the significant leap, an HP commitment.
I am interpreting Mark's message below to read that supported Perl on
the 3000 has somehow been "Un-Planned." I hope its status reverts to
the HP Web site report soon. Customers are reporting it to be a
powerful tool for e-services, a thing I heard HP has some interest
in. I believe supporting it with TurboIMAGE, somehow, is a good thing
too, since there's very few 3000s that don't need to connect with
TurboIMAGE.
I know Mark will give us the latest and truest answer he can at HP
World. I'll be there to hear the news myself.
>Hi HP3000-L,
>
>"Johnson, Tracy" wrote:
>>
>> I opened up my 3000 News Wire and saw on the yellow sheet
>> anticipation of "official" support of Perl 5.7.x on the
>> [HP]e3000.
>>
>> Yum.
>>
>> So, will it be able to make TurboImage calls?
>
>This is not quite correct; let's see if I can clarify things.
>
>There was a 2001 SIB item for "supported Perl as a part of WebWise" that
>finished in the Top 10 vote getters. Literally as I type this, I am beginning
>the final packaging of Perl 5.6.1 as a result of this SIB item.
>
>However, the initial CSY plans are to distribute Perl 5.6.1 via jazz as
>unsupported freeware. This will be an upgrade from the bixby.org 5.6.0
>version, and all diffs have been submitted back to the official Perl
>developers
>and are currently included in the 5.7.2 developer release (which will
>eventually become the 5.8.0 public release).
>
>An HP-supported version of Perl is merely "under consideration" at this time.
>Note that this does not yet mean "yes" or "no". If you come to my Perl
>presentation at HPWorld, I will see if I can have a firmer answer by then.
>
>The Perl distribution I am working on is just basic vanilla Perl. It will not
>come bundled with Ted Ashton's TurboImage module or any other non-standard
>module. If you want to play with the TurboImage support, you will have to
>download it separately and build it yourselves.
>
>HP support for the Perl TurboImage module is not currently under
>consideration.
>
>Please let me know if you have any questions about this. Thanks!
>--
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>Remainder of .sig suppressed to conserve scarce California electrons...
--
Ron Seybold, Editor In Chief
The 3000 NewsWire
Independent Information to Maximize Your HP 3000
http://www.3000newswire.com
512.331.0075 -- [log in to unmask]
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