Re: compile perl file, specify current buffer, using help effectively

[Kevin Rodgers <ihs_4664@yahoo.com>]

David Hansen wrote:
> On Tue, 2 May 2006 22:04:56 -0400 David Schneider wrote:
>> I am trying to use emacs as an IDE for perl development.  I think it
>> would be useful to have a compile command that runs perl on the
>> current buffer I am editing.  The compile command defaults to make -k.
>> I want to change it to perl xx where xx is the name of the current
>> buffer - is there some variable or special syntax I can use to get the
>> current filename?  More important then the answer, is how do I figure
>> this out from the help.  I have been using C-h a to try to search the
>> help.  This gives me lists of commands or variables which may be
>> related - but I frequently find my questions are still unanswered.

`C-h a' is for commands.  `C-h f' is for functions.  `C-h v' is for
variables.

`C-h v compile-command' has a C mode example that David has converted
to Perl mode for you:

> Not tested:
> 
> (add-hook 'perl-mode-hook
>           (lambda ()
>             (set (make-local-variable 'compile-command)
>                  (concat "perl -w " (buffer-file-name)))))
> 
> Anyway i doub't that the compile mode will recognize the
> perl errors and warnings.

See compilation-error-regexp-alist:

     ;; Perl -w:
     ;; syntax error at automake line 922, near "':'"
     ;; Perl debugging traces
     ;; store::odrecall('File_A', 'x2') called at store.pm line 90
     (".* at \\([^ \n]+\\) line \\([0-9]+\\)[,.\n]" 1 2)

-- 
Kevin