[perl #21260] perlfunc docs for readline() do not mention error handling

# New Ticket Created by  rich@ridas.com 
# Please include the string:  [perl #21260]
# in the subject line of all future correspondence about this issue. 
# <URL: http://rt.perl.org/rt2/Ticket/Display.html?id=21260 >



This is a bug report for perl from rich@ridas.com,
generated with the help of perlbug 1.34 running under perl v5.8.0.


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[Please enter your report here]

perlfunc does not document how readline() behaves if an error occurs.

It would also be helpful to describe how the end user should test for
errors, when readline should/nt be used, and what the alternatives are.

[Please do not change anything below this line]
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---
Flags:
    category=docs
    severity=low
---
Site configuration information for perl v5.8.0:

Configured by pixel at Fri Sep  6 23:23:23 CEST 2002.

Summary of my perl5 (revision 5.0 version 8 subversion 0) configuration:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.4.19-2mdkenterprise, archname=i386-linux-thread-multi
    uname='linux no.mandrakesoft.com 2.4.19-2mdkenterprise #1 smp tue aug 13 00:17:42 cest 2002 i686 unknown unknown gnulinux '
    config_args='-des -Darchname=i386-linux -Dcc=gcc -Doptimize=-O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mcpu=pentiumpro -march=i586 -ffast-math -fno-strength-reduce -Dprefix=/usr -Dvendorprefix=/usr -Dsiteprefix=/usr -Dman3ext=3pm -Dcf_by=MandrakeSoft -Dmyhostname=localhost -Dperladmin=root@localhost -Dd_dosuid -Ud_csh -Duseshrplib -Dusethreads'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    usethreads=define use5005threads=undef useithreads=define usemultiplicity=define
    useperlio=define d_sfio=undef uselargefiles=define usesocks=undef
    use64bitint=undef use64bitall=undef uselongdouble=undef
    usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='gcc', ccflags ='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-strict-aliasing -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/gdbm',
    optimize='-O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mcpu=pentiumpro -march=i586 -ffast-math -fno-strength-reduce',
    cppflags='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/include/gdbm'
    ccversion='', gccversion='3.2 (Mandrake Linux 9.0 3.2-1mdk)', gccosandvers=''
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=12
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t', lseeksize=8
    alignbytes=4, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='gcc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib
    libs=-lnsl -lndbm -lgdbm -ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt -lutil
    perllibs=-lnsl -ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt -lutil
    libc=/lib/libc-2.2.5.so, so=so, useshrplib=true, libperl=libperl.so
    gnulibc_version='2.2.5'
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-rdynamic -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi/CORE'
    cccdlflags='-fpic', lddlflags='-shared -L/usr/local/lib'

Locally applied patches:
    

---
@INC for perl v5.8.0:
    /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi
    /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8.0
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl
    .

---
Environment for perl v5.8.0:
    HOME=/home/rich
    LANG=en_GB
    LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
    LC_COLLATE=en_GB
    LC_CTYPE=en_GB
    LC_MESSAGES=en_GB
    LC_MONETARY=en_GB
    LC_NUMERIC=en_GB
    LC_TIME=en_GB
    LD_LIBRARY_PATH (unset)
    LOGDIR (unset)
    PATH=/usr//bin:/bin:/usr/bin::/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/home/rich/bin
    PERL_BADLANG (unset)
    SHELL=/bin/bash

• [perl #21260] perlfunc docs for readline() do not mention error handling by perlbug-followup