version 0.59_03
==================================

Provides the same version objects as included in Perl v5.9.x (and hopefully in
the 5.10.0 release).  In fact, if you attempt to use this module with a version
of Perl >= v5.9.0, this module will not do anything, since the code already
exists in the Perl core.  Note that the CPAN release cannot be installed
with the interim 5.9.0, 5.9.1, and 5.9.2 releases (since it duplicates code
in the core).  If you are testing bleadperl, you will need to check out the
latest release of 5.9.x to get the changes included in 0.58.

Beta Release 0.59_03 - 2006-05-14
==================================
Very small version number (like 0.000001, e.g. v0.0.1) would run afoul of
Perl's normal switch to exponential notation.  Both the XS and Perl modules
have been rewritten to try a lot harder to deal with this problem.  If this
tests out, then 0.60 will be cut within a few days. 

It was also reported that calling the replacement UNIVERSAL::VERSION as a 
fallback method, e.g. module->VERSION, did not work the same between the
pure Perl and XS variants.  The pure Perl module was also modified to try
and spot embedded non-magic v-strings between Perl 5.6.2 and 5.8.1.

This release removes the dependency on Exporter, as well as includes
improved documentation on how to use a module that uses version.pm itself.

Major changes in 0.59
==================================
Fix mainline code to work on Perl 5.6.x and 5.005_0x again (a few 
5.8.x'isms had crept in to the C code and tests).

Please read the POD documentation for usage/details.  See the CHANGES file
for full details of all changes to the module behavior.

INSTALLATION

To install this module type the following:

   $ perl Build.PL
   $ ./Build
   $ ./Build test
   # ./Build install

This release includes an optional pure Perl implementation (in case
you don't have a C-compiler or if some reason you want your code to be
much slower).  You can test it by calling the build script as

    $ perl Build.PL --perl_only

and it will install the Perl only version.

DEPENDENCIES

The same C compiler used to build Perl (or not).  Module::Build 0.2611
or better.

Module::Build installs fine under 5.005_03 or better, though the optional
dependency Archive::Tar doesn't.  If you install Module::Build without any
of the optional dependencies, you can safely install version.pm.


COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

This module can be distributed under the same terms as Perl.

Copyright (C) 2004,2005,2006 John Peacock

