DAVEM TPF Grant#2 April 2017 report

The main things I did last month were:

* Fixd require's "Can't locate" error message so that it only mentions
  @INC if @INC was actually searched, and only gives the "you may need to
  install" hint if the filename maps to a valid module name.

* fixed up the usage of 'do' in core and made tests run without '.' in
  @INC.  It turns out that all core tests were being run with '.' in @INC
  even when that was no longer set by default by the perl interpreter. I
  removed that, and then fixed up the issues it revealed.

* I made a start on a proof-of-concept branch which stores short strings
  directly in the body of an SV.


SUMMARY:
     14:28 RT #131098 Error message for require "./base.pm" is wrong
      2:26 RT #131124 threads::shared panic
      2:09 RT #131126 various 5.24.1 test failure issues
      6:44 fix up usage of 'do' in core
      6:00 investigate short-string PVs
      7:30 make tests run without '.' in @INC
      3:01 perldelta entry for the dot-in-@INC issue
      0:31 process p5p mailbox
    ------
     42:49 TOTAL (HH::MM)


 185.0 weeks
2591.8 total hours
  14.0 average hours per week

There are 208 hours left on the grant

-- 
Please note that ash-trays are provided for the use of smokers,
whereas the floor is provided for the use of all patrons.
    -- Bill Royston

• DAVEM TPF Grant#2 April 2017 report by Dave Mitchell
• Re: DAVEM TPF Grant#2 April 2017 report by Dave Mitchell
• Re: DAVEM TPF Grant#2 April 2017 report by Sawyer X