README for Pod::Escapes
                                        Time-stamp: "2001-10-24 23:29:50 MDT"

NAME
    Pod::Escapes -- for resolving Pod E<...> sequences

SYNOPSIS
      use Pod::Escapes qw(e2char);
      ...la la la, parsing POD, la la la...
      $text = e2char($e_node->label);
      unless(defined $text) {
        print "Unknown E sequence \"", $e_node->label, "\"!";
      }
      ...else print/interpolate $text...

DESCRIPTION
    This module provides things that are useful in decoding Pod E<...>
    sequences. Presumably, it should be used only by Pod parsers and/or
    formatters.

    By default, Pod::Escapes exports none of its symbols. But you can request
    any of them to be exported. Either request them individually, as with `use
    Pod::Escapes qw(symbolname symbolname2...);', or you can do `use
    Pod::Escapes qw(:ALL);' to get all exportable symbols.

GOODIES
    e2char($e_content)
        Given a name or number that could appear in a `E<name_or_num>' sequence,
        this returns the string that it stands for. For example,
        `e2char('sol')', `e2char('47')', `e2char('x2F')', and `e2char('057')'
        all return "/", because `E<sol>', `E<47>', `E<x2f>', and `E<057>', all
        mean "/". If the name has no known value (as with a name of "qacute") or
        is syntactally invalid (as with a name of "1/4"), this returns undef.

    $Name2character{*name*}
        Maps from names (as in `E<*name'>*) like "eacute" or "sol" to the string
        that each stands for. Note that this does not include numerics (like
        "64" or "x981c").

    $Latin1Code_to_fallback{*integer*}
        For numbers in the range 160 (0x00A0) to 255 (0x00FF), this maps from
        the character code for a Latin-1 character (like 233 for lowercase e-
        acute) to the US-ASCII character that best aproximates it (like "e").
        You may find this useful if you are rendering POD in a format that you
        think deals well only with US-ASCII characters.

    $Latin1Char_to_fallback{*character*}
        Just as above, but maps from characters (like "\xE9", lowercase e-acute)
        to characters (like "e").

    $Code2USASCII{*integer*}
        This maps from US-ASCII codes (like 32) to the corresponding character
        (like space, for 32). Only characters 32 to 126 are defined. This is
        meant for use by `e2char($x)' when it senses that it's running on a non-
        ASCII platform (where chr(32) doesn't get you a space -- but
        $Code2USASCII{32} will). It's documented here just in case you might
        find it useful.

CAVEATS
    On Perl versions before 5.7, Unicode characters with a value over 255 (like
    lambda or emdash) can't be conveyed. This module does work under such early
    Perl versions, but in the place of each such character, you get a "?".
    Latin-1 characters (characters 160-255) are unaffected.

SEE ALSO
    perlpod

    perlpodspec

    Text::Unidecode

COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMERS
    Copyright (c) 2001 Sean M. Burke. All rights reserved.

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but without
    any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability or
    fitness for a particular purpose.

    Portions of the data tables in this module are derived from the entity
    declarations in the W3C XHTML specification.

    Currently (October 2001), that's these three:

     http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml-lat1.ent
     http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml-special.ent
     http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml-symbol.ent

AUTHOR
    Sean M. Burke `sburke@cpan.org'




PREREQUISITES

This suite requires Perl 5; I've only used it under Perl 5.004, so for
anything lower, you're on your own.

Pod::Escapes doesn't use any nonstandard modules.


INSTALLATION

You install Pod::Escapes, as you would install any perl module
library, by running these commands:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install

If you want to install a private copy of Pod::Escapes in your home
directory, then you should try to produce the initial Makefile with
something like this command:

  perl Makefile.PL LIB=~/perl


DOCUMENTATION

POD-format documentation is included in Escapes.pm.  POD is readable
with the 'perldoc' utility.  See ChangeLog for recent changes.


MACPERL INSTALLATION NOTES

Don't bother with the makefiles.  Just make a Pod directory in your
MacPerl site_lib or lib directory, and move Escapes.pm into there.


SUPPORT

Questions, bug reports, useful code bits, and suggestions for
Pod::Escapes should just be sent to me at sburke@cpan.org


AVAILABILITY

The latest version of Pod::Escapes is available from the
Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN).  Visit
<http://www.perl.com/CPAN/> to find a CPAN site near you.
