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Win32

Win32(3pm)             Perl Programmers Reference Guide             Win32(3pm)



NAME
       Win32 - Interfaces to some Win32 API Functions

DESCRIPTION
       Perl on Win32 contains several functions to access Win32 APIs. Some are
       included in Perl itself (on Win32) and some are only available after
       explicitly requesting the Win32 module with:

               use Win32;

       The builtin functions are marked as [CORE] and the other ones as [EXT]
       in the following alphabetical listing. The "Win32" module is not part
       of the Perl source distribution; it is distributed in the libwin32 bun-
       dle of Win32::* modules on CPAN. The module is already preinstalled in
       binary distributions like ActivePerl.

       Alphabetical Listing of Win32 Functions


       Win32::AbortSystemShutdown(MACHINE)
           [EXT] Aborts a system shutdown (started by the InitiateSystemShut-
           down function) on the specified MACHINE.

       Win32::BuildNumber()
           [CORE] Returns the ActivePerl build number. This function is only
           available in the ActivePerl binary distribution.

       Win32::CopyFile(FROM, TO, OVERWRITE)
           [CORE] The Win32::CopyFile() function copies an existing file to a
           new file. All file information like creation time and file
           attributes will be copied to the new file. However it will not copy
           the security information. If the destination file already exists it
           will only be overwritten when the OVERWRITE parameter is true. But
           even this will not overwrite a read-only file; you have to unlink()
           it first yourself.

       Win32::DomainName()
           [CORE] Returns the name of the Microsoft Network domain that the
           owner of the current perl process is logged into.  This function
           does not work on Windows 9x.

       Win32::ExpandEnvironmentStrings(STRING)
           [EXT] Takes STRING and replaces all referenced environment variable
           names with their defined values. References to environment vari-
           ables take the form "%VariableName%". Case is ignored when looking
           up the VariableName in the environment. If the variable is not
           found then the original "%VariableName%" text is retained.  Has the
           same effect as the following:

                   $string =~ s/%([^%]*)%/$ENV{$1} || "%$1%"/eg

       Win32::FormatMessage(ERRORCODE)
           [CORE] Converts the supplied Win32 error number (e.g. returned by
           Win32::GetLastError()) to a descriptive string.  Analogous to the
           perror() standard-C library function.  Note that $^E used in a
           string context has much the same effect.

                   C:\> perl -e "$^E = 26; print $^E;"
                   The specified disk or diskette cannot be accessed

       Win32::FsType()
           [CORE] Returns the name of the filesystem of the currently active
           drive (like 'FAT' or 'NTFS'). In list context it returns three
           values: (FSTYPE, FLAGS, MAXCOMPLEN). FSTYPE is the filesystem type
           as before. FLAGS is a combination of values of the following table:

                   0x00000001  supports case-sensitive filenames
                   0x00000002  preserves the case of filenames
                   0x00000004  supports Unicode in filenames
                   0x00000008  preserves and enforces ACLs
                   0x00000010  supports file-based compression
                   0x00000020  supports disk quotas
                   0x00000040  supports sparse files
                   0x00000080  supports reparse points
                   0x00000100  supports remote storage
                   0x00008000  is a compressed volume (e.g. DoubleSpace)
                   0x00010000  supports object identifiers
                   0x00020000  supports the Encrypted File System (EFS)

           MAXCOMPLEN is the maximum length of a filename component (the part
           between two backslashes) on this file system.

       Win32::FreeLibrary(HANDLE)
           [EXT] Unloads a previously loaded dynamic-link library. The HANDLE
           is no longer valid after this call. See LoadLibrary for information
           on dynamically loading a library.

       Win32::GetArchName()
           [EXT] Use of this function is deprecated. It is equivalent with
           $ENV{PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE}. This might not work on Win9X.

       Win32::GetChipName()
           [EXT] Returns the processor type: 386, 486 or 586 for Intel proces-
           sors, 21064 for the Alpha chip.

       Win32::GetCwd()
           [CORE] Returns the current active drive and directory. This func-
           tion does not return a UNC path, since the functionality required
           for such a feature is not available under Windows 95.

       Win32::GetFolderPath(FOLDER [, CREATE])
           [EXT] Returns the full pathname of one of the Windows special fold-
           ers.  The folder will be created if it doesn't exist and the
           optional CREATE argument is true.  The following FOLDER constants
           are defined by the Win32 module, but only exported on demand:

                   CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS
                   CSIDL_APPDATA
                   CSIDL_CDBURN_AREA
                   CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS
                   CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA
                   CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY
                   CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS
                   CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES
                   CSIDL_COMMON_MUSIC
                   CSIDL_COMMON_PICTURES
                   CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS
                   CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU
                   CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP
                   CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES
                   CSIDL_COMMON_VIDEO
                   CSIDL_COOKIES
                   CSIDL_DESKTOP
                   CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY
                   CSIDL_FAVORITES
                   CSIDL_FONTS
                   CSIDL_HISTORY
                   CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE
                   CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA
                   CSIDL_MYMUSIC
                   CSIDL_MYPICTURES
                   CSIDL_MYVIDEO
                   CSIDL_NETHOOD
                   CSIDL_PERSONAL
                   CSIDL_PRINTHOOD
                   CSIDL_PROFILE
                   CSIDL_PROGRAMS
                   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES
                   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON
                   CSIDL_RECENT
                   CSIDL_RESOURCES
                   CSIDL_RESOURCES_LOCALIZED
                   CSIDL_SENDTO
                   CSIDL_STARTMENU
                   CSIDL_STARTUP
                   CSIDL_SYSTEM
                   CSIDL_TEMPLATES
                   CSIDL_WINDOWS

           Note that not all folders are defined on all versions of Windows.

           Please refer to the MSDN documentation of the CSIDL constants, cur-
           rently available at:

           http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/shellcc/plat-
           form/shell/reference/enums/csidl.asp

       Win32::GetFullPathName(FILENAME)
           [CORE] GetFullPathName combines the FILENAME with the current drive
           and directory name and returns a fully qualified (aka, absolute)
           path name. In list context it returns two elements: (PATH, FILE)
           where PATH is the complete pathname component (including trailing
           backslash) and FILE is just the filename part.  Note that no
           attempt is made to convert 8.3 components in the supplied FILENAME
           to longnames or vice-versa.  Compare with Win32::GetShortPathName
           and Win32::GetLongPathName.

           This function has been added for Perl 5.6.

       Win32::GetLastError()
           [CORE] Returns the last error value generated by a call to a Win32
           API function.  Note that $^E used in a numeric context amounts to
           the same value.

       Win32::GetLongPathName(PATHNAME)
           [CORE] Returns a representation of PATHNAME composed of longname
           components (if any).  The result may not necessarily be longer than
           PATHNAME.  No attempt is made to convert PATHNAME to the absolute
           path.  Compare with Win32::GetShortPathName and Win32::GetFullPath-
           Name.

           This function has been added for Perl 5.6.

       Win32::GetNextAvailDrive()
           [CORE] Returns a string in the form of "<d>:" where <d> is the
           first available drive letter.

       Win32::GetOSVersion()
           [CORE] Returns the array (STRING, MAJOR, MINOR, BUILD, ID), where
           the elements are, respectively: An arbitrary descriptive string,
           the major version number of the operating system, the minor version
           number, the build number, and a digit indicating the actual operat-
           ing system.  For the ID, the values are 0 for Win32s, 1 for Windows
           9X and 2 for Windows NT/2000/XP.  In scalar context it returns just
           the ID.

           Currently known values for ID MAJOR and MINOR are as follows:

               OS                    ID    MAJOR   MINOR
               Win32s                 0      -       -
               Windows 95             1      4       0
               Windows 98             1      4      10
               Windows Me             1      4      90
               Windows NT 3.51        2      3      51
               Windows NT 4           2      4       0
               Windows 2000           2      5       0
               Windows XP             2      5       1
               Windows .NET Server    2      5       1

           Unfortunately as of June 2002 there is no way to distinguish
           between .NET servers and XP servers without using additional mod-
           ules.

       Win32::GetOSName()
           [EXT] In scalar context returns the name of the Win32 operating
           system being used.  In list context returns a two element list of
           the OS name and whatever edition information is known about the
           particular build (for Win9x boxes) and whatever service packs have
           been installed.  The latter is roughly equivalent to the first item
           returned by GetOSVersion() in list context.

           Currently the possible values for the OS name are

             Win32s Win95 Win98 WinMe Win2000 WinXP/.Net WinNT3.51 WinNT4

           This routine is just a simple interface into GetOSVersion().  More
           specific or demanding situations should use that instead.  Another
           option would be to use POSIX::uname(), however the latter appears
           to report only the OS family name and not the specific OS.  In
           scalar context it returns just the ID.

       Win32::GetShortPathName(PATHNAME)
           [CORE] Returns a representation of PATHNAME composed only of short
           (8.3) path components.  The result may not necessarily be shorter
           than PATHNAME.  Compare with Win32::GetFullPathName and Win32::Get-
           LongPathName.

       Win32::GetProcAddress(INSTANCE, PROCNAME)
           [EXT] Returns the address of a function inside a loaded library.
           The information about what you can do with this address has been
           lost in the mist of time. Use the Win32::API module instead of this
           deprecated function.

       Win32::GetTickCount()
           [CORE] Returns the number of milliseconds elapsed since the last
           system boot. Resolution is limited to system timer ticks (about
           10ms on WinNT and 55ms on Win9X).

       Win32::InitiateSystemShutdown
           (MACHINE, MESSAGE, TIMEOUT, FORCECLOSE, REBOOT)

           [EXT] Shutsdown the specified MACHINE, notifying users with the
           supplied MESSAGE, within the specified TIMEOUT interval. Forces
           closing of all documents without prompting the user if FORCECLOSE
           is true, and reboots the machine if REBOOT is true. This function
           works only on WinNT.

       Win32::IsWinNT()
           [CORE] Returns non zero if the Win32 subsystem is Windows NT.

       Win32::IsWin95()
           [CORE] Returns non zero if the Win32 subsystem is Windows 95.

       Win32::LoadLibrary(LIBNAME)
           [EXT] Loads a dynamic link library into memory and returns its mod-
           ule handle. This handle can be used with Win32::GetProcAddress and
           Win32::FreeLibrary. This function is deprecated. Use the Win32::API
           module instead.

       Win32::LoginName()
           [CORE] Returns the username of the owner of the current perl pro-
           cess.

       Win32::LookupAccountName(SYSTEM, ACCOUNT, DOMAIN, SID, SIDTYPE)
           [EXT] Looks up ACCOUNT on SYSTEM and returns the domain name the
           SID and the SID type.

       Win32::LookupAccountSID(SYSTEM, SID, ACCOUNT, DOMAIN, SIDTYPE)
           [EXT] Looks up SID on SYSTEM and returns the account name, domain
           name, and the SID type.

       Win32::MsgBox(MESSAGE [, FLAGS [, TITLE]])
           [EXT] Create a dialogbox containing MESSAGE. FLAGS specifies the
           required icon and buttons according to the following table:

                   0 = OK
                   1 = OK and Cancel
                   2 = Abort, Retry, and Ignore
                   3 = Yes, No and Cancel
                   4 = Yes and No
                   5 = Retry and Cancel

                   MB_ICONSTOP          "X" in a red circle
                   MB_ICONQUESTION      question mark in a bubble
                   MB_ICONEXCLAMATION   exclamation mark in a yellow triangle
                   MB_ICONINFORMATION   "i" in a bubble

           TITLE specifies an optional window title. The default is "Perl".

           The function returns the menu id of the selected push button:

                   0  Error

                   1  OK
                   2  Cancel
                   3  Abort
                   4  Retry
                   5  Ignore
                   6  Yes
                   7  No

       Win32::NodeName()
           [CORE] Returns the Microsoft Network node-name of the current
           machine.

       Win32::RegisterServer(LIBRARYNAME)
           [EXT] Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function DllRegis-
           terServer.

       Win32::SetChildShowWindow(SHOWWINDOW)
           [CORE] Sets the ShowMode of child processes started by system().
           By default system() will create a new console window for child pro-
           cesses if Perl itself is not running from a console. Calling
           SetChildShowWindow(0) will make these new console windows invisi-
           ble.  Calling SetChildShowWindow() without arguments reverts sys-
           tem() to the default behavior.  The return value of SetChild-
           ShowWindow() is the previous setting or "undef".

           [EXT] The following symbolic constants for SHOWWINDOW are available
           (but not exported) from the Win32 module: SW_HIDE, SW_SHOWNORMAL,
           SW_SHOWMINIMIZED, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED and SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE.

       Win32::SetCwd(NEWDIRECTORY)
           [CORE] Sets the current active drive and directory. This function
           does not work with UNC paths, since the functionality required to
           required for such a feature is not available under Windows 95.

       Win32::SetLastError(ERROR)
           [CORE] Sets the value of the last error encountered to ERROR. This
           is that value that will be returned by the Win32::GetLastError()
           function. This functions has been added for Perl 5.6.

       Win32::Sleep(TIME)
           [CORE] Pauses for TIME milliseconds. The timeslices are made avail-
           able to other processes and threads.

       Win32::Spawn(COMMAND, ARGS, PID)
           [CORE] Spawns a new process using the supplied COMMAND, passing in
           arguments in the string ARGS. The pid of the new process is stored
           in PID. This function is deprecated. Please use the Win32::Process
           module instead.

       Win32::UnregisterServer(LIBRARYNAME)
           [EXT] Loads the DLL LIBRARYNAME and calls the function DllUnregis-
           terServer.



perl v5.8.0                       2002-06-01                        Win32(3pm)