$Header: /home/cvsroot/perlZ3950/README,v 1.2 2000/06/29 16:01:34 mike Exp $ Net::Z3950.pm -- What Is It? ---------------------------- This module provides a Perl interface to the Z39.50 information retrieval protocol (aka. ISO 23950), a mature and powerful protocol used in application domains as diverse as bibliographic information, geo-spatial mapping, museums and other cultural heritage information, and structured vocabulary navigation. Building and Installation ------------------------- There are two prerequisites to building the Net::Z3950 module: 1. You'll need the Event module (a generic event loop). I've tested only with version 0.77 of Event, but later versions will most likely be fine; in fact, earlier version probably will be too, since I don't do anything clever with it. 2. You'll also need Index Data's Yaz toolkit, a set of C routines for manipulating, sending and receiving the Z39.50 data structures. I've been using the current (May 2000) development version, but again, I am not doing anything unusual with it -- anything from version 1.5 upwards should be fine. You can find it at http://indexdata.dk/yaz/ I'm assuming that you've installed Yaz in the default places -- binaries in /usr/local/bin, libraries in /usr/local/lib, etc. If you've installed it somewhere else, then you'll have to modify the LIBS and INC settings in ./Makefile.PL and the INC setting in yazwrap/Makefile.PL. Apart from that, you know the drill: perl Makefile.PL make make test make install Now What? --------- All of the documentation except this file is in the "doc" subdirectory. Run "make" there to regenerate the HTML versions of the POD documents, and start reading at doc/index.html. Author ------ Mike Taylor http://www.staff.tecc.co.uk/mike/ With lots of help, encouragement, design input, etc. from Sebastian Hammer and Adam Dickmeiss http://indexdata.dk