This is the README file for Text::Vpp, the Perl versatile pre-processor.

You may find this module useful if you want to preprocess text. 

Vpp can handle conditional text and variable substitutions in the text.

In other words, Vpp understands if, else, elsif, endif, include, and variables
such as $foo and $bar. (See the test files in the distribution for examples).

You may also include small perl instructions to manipulate or set the 
variables inside the text.

The product of the substitution may be written directly on a file or 
loaded in the user's program for further manipulations.

You might want to use Text::Vpp instead of cpp if :
- you use the '#' in your file as a comment charecter
- are tired of angular #ifdef and prefer round shapes such as @ifdef
- want to keep /* ... */ in your file
- cpp doesn't like your text.
- you are allergic to cpp

You might also want to use Text::Vpp instead of m4 if :
- you can't find the m4 macro to do what you want
- m4 think your text is a macro
- you are allergic to m4

Another advantage of using the module is to do the pre-processing inside
your perl program instead of spawning another process.


This module is in BETA state

This module was written with perl5.003. It should work fine with perl5.001
or later (although I did not test it).

See the embedded documentation in the module for more details.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

BETA exit criteria:
- When some peoples (well, say 10 guys) tell me that they've used it 
  and did not find major bug with the module or minor problems with the 
  interface.

Finally, I'd like to thank Helmut Jarausch for his bug report and the patch
he provided.

 - Dominique Dumont
   dominique_dumont@grenoble.hp.com

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INSTALLATION

   	 gunzip -x <distribution_file> | tar xvf -
   	 cd <module>
   	 perl Makefile.PL
   	 make test
   	 make install