                Shell/POSIX/Select version 0.07
                ===============================

INSTALLATION

To install this module type the following:

    perl Makefile.PL
    make test
    make install

DEPENDENCIES

This module requires these other modules and libraries:

    File::Spec::Functions
    Text::Balanced
    Filter::Simple

==================================================================

NAME

    Shell::POSIX::Select - The POSIX Shell's "select" loop for Perl

PURPOSE

    This module implements the "select" loop of the "POSIX" shells
    (Bash, Korn, and derivatives) for Perl.  That loop is unique in
    two ways: it's by far the friendliest feature of any UNIX shell,
    and it's the *only* UNIX shell loop that's missing from the Perl
    language.  Until now!

SYNOPSIS

    NOTE: In the following, the enclosing square brackets (not
    typed) identify optional elements, and vertical bars indicate
    mutually-exclusive choices:

    select [[my|local|our<]> scalar_var] ( [LIST] ) { [CODE] }

    The required elements are the keyword "select", the *parentheses*,
    and the *curly braces*.  See "SYNTAX" for details.

ELEMENTARY EXAMPLE

  ship2me2.plx

    use Shell::POSIX::Select qw($Heading $Prompt);

    $Heading='Select a Shipper' ;
    $Prompt='Enter Vendor Number: ' ;

    select $shipper ( 'UPS', 'FedEx' ) {
        print "\nYou chose: $shipper\n";
        last;
    }
    ship ($shipper, $ARGV[0]);      # prints confirmation message


  OUTPUT

    ship2me2.plx '42 hemp toothbrushes'

    *Select a Shipper*

    1) UPS  2) FedEx

    Enter Vendor Number: 2
    You chose: FedEx

    Your order has been processed.  Thanks for your business!

BENEFITS

    What's so great about this loop? It automates the generation of a
    numbered menu of choices, prompts for a choice, proofreads that
    choice and complains if it's invalid (at least in this enhanced
    implementation), and executes a code-block with a variable set to
    the chosen value.  That saves a lot of coding for interactive
    programs -- especially if the menu consists of many values!

    The benefit of bringing this loop to Perl is that it obviates the
    need for future programmers to reinvent the *Choose-From-A-Menu*
    wheel.

EXPORTS: Default

    $Reply

    This variable is "local"ized to each "select" loop, and provides
    the menu-number of the most recent valid selection.

EXPORTS: Optional

     $Heading
     $Prompt
     $Eof

SCRIPTS

    browse_images
    browse_jpeg
    browse_records
    delete_file
    lc_filename
    long_listem
    menu_ls
    order
    perl_man
    pick
    pick_file

AUTHOR

    Tim Maher

MAINTAINER

    Martin Thurn
    mthurn@cpan.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    I probably never would have even attempted to write this module if
    it weren't for the provision of Filter::Simple by Damian Conway,
    which I ruthlessly exploited to make a hard job easy.

    *The Damian* also gave useful tips during the module's
    development, for which I'm grateful.

    I *definitely* wouldn't have ever written this module, if I hadn't
    found myself writing a chapter on *Looping* for my upcoming
    Manning Publications book, and once again lamenting the fact that
    the most friendly Shell loop was missing from Perl.  In a fit of
    zeal, I decided to rectify that oversight! 8-}

    For more examples of how this loop can be used in Perl programs,
    watch for my upcoming book, *Minimal Perl: for Shell Users and
    Programmers* (see <http://teachmeperl.com/mp4sh.html>) in early
    fall, 2003.

SEE ALSO

    man ksh        # on UNIX or UNIX-like systems

    man bash       # on UNIX or UNIX-like systems

DON'T SEE ALSO

    perldoc -f select, which has nothing to do with this module (the
    names just happen to match up).

LICENSE

    Copyright (C) 2002-2003, Timothy F. Maher.  All rights reserved.

    This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
