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

[Kevin Rodgers]

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