This is the README file for Data::Dumper, the Perl
data-structure printing/stringification module.

This is version 2.09.  See the CHANGES section below for details on
the new features and fixes in this release.

Perl version 5.004 or later is required to build and use this module.


---NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE---NOTE---
|                                                                       |
|  Data-Dumper comes standard with perl from version 5.004_71.  This    |
|  version is identical to the one found in the latest development      |
|  release, 5.004_75.  You should install this if (and only if) your    |
|  version of perl doesn't already come with it.                        |
|                                                                       |
|  Building the XSUB version *requires* a C compiler that groks ANSI    |
|  prototypes.  You may install the non-XSUB version if you're not so   |
|  lucky.  See the INSTALLATION section below.                          |
|                                                                       |
---NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE----NOTE---NOTE---


You may find this module useful if you:

   * are writing an application that must display perl data
     structures.

   * want to store some data structures to disk, in either a
     compact or perl readable format (Dumper outputs pure perl,
     so you don't have to invent your own portable data format, or
     parse it;  simply "do FILE" or read the data back in with 
     perl and eval() it).  See the MLDBM module for an example of
     one such use.

   * want a simple, yet powerful, persistence engine that can be
     quickly integrated into your application, and is a breeze to
     debug.

   * want a facility to make copies of data, or quickly find
     differences between data structures.

Dumper can be efficient if you are on a system supported by MakeMaker
and xsubpp, the perl extension building tools.  In this case, Dumper 
will build a XSUB extension that will be much faster than its perl 
counterpart (in my tests, about 4 to 5 times).  In either case, 
you should be able to use this module without loss of functionality.

See the embedded documentation in the module for more details.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

 - Sarathy.
   gsar@umich.edu

---------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLATION

Installation requires a functional Makemaker and perl 5.004 or later.  Do
either of these:

   a. If your platform has a C compiler AND is supported by xsubpp:

   	 gzip -c -d Data-Dumper-2.09.tar.gz | tar xvf -
   	 cd Data-Dumper-2.09
   	 perl Makefile.PL
   	 make test
   	 make install

   b. If you have no C compiler OR if you don't want the XSUB extension 
      (no loss of functionality, only speed):

   	 gzip -c -d Data-Dumper-2.09.tar.gz | tar xvf -
   	 cd Data-Dumper-2.09
   	 perl Makefile.PL noxs                  # flips to non-xsub version
   	 make test
   	 make install

      If you decide to go back to compiling the XSUB extension after this,
      just do:

         make distclean
   	 perl Makefile.PL xs                    # flips to non-xsub version
         make test
         make install

---------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES

    2.09  (9 July 1998)
            Implement $Data::Dumper::Bless, suggested by Mark Daku
	    <daku@nortel.ca>.

    2.081 (15 January 1998)
            Minor release to fix Makefile.PL not accepting
            MakeMaker args.
 
    2.08  (7 December 1997)
            Glob dumps don't output superflous 'undef' anymore.

            Fixes from Gisle Aas <gisle@aas.no> to make Dumper()
            work with overloaded strings in recent perls, and his
            new testsuite.

            require 5.004.

            A separate flag to always quote hash keys (on by
            default).

            Recreating known CODE refs is now better supported.

            Changed flawed constant SCALAR bless workaround.

