Manual: h2ph

H2PH(1)					      Perl Programmers Reference Guide					     H2PH(1)

NAME
       h2ph - convert .h C header files to .ph Perl header files

SYNOPSIS
       h2ph [-d destination directory] [-r | -a] [-l] [-h] [-e] [-D] [-Q] [headerfiles]

DESCRIPTION
       h2ph converts any C header files specified to the corresponding Perl header file format.	 It is most easily run while
       in /usr/include:

	       cd /usr/include; h2ph * sys/*

       or

	       cd /usr/include; h2ph * sys/* arpa/* netinet/*

       or

	       cd /usr/include; h2ph -r -l .

       The output files are placed in the hierarchy rooted at Perl's architecture dependent library directory.	You can
       specify a different hierarchy with a -d switch.

       If run with no arguments, filters standard input to standard output.

OPTIONS
       -d destination_dir
	   Put	the  resulting	.ph  files  beneath  destination_dir,  instead	of beneath the default Perl library location
	   ($Config{'installsitearch'}).

       -r  Run recursively; if any of headerfiles are directories, then run h2ph on all	 files	in  those  directories	(and
	   their subdirectories, etc.).	 -r and -a are mutually exclusive.

       -a  Run	automagically; convert headerfiles, as well as any .h files which they include.	 This option will search for
	   .h files in all directories which your C compiler ordinarily uses.  -a and -r are mutually exclusive.

       -l  Symbolic links will be replicated in the destination directory.  If -l is not specified, then links	are  skipped
	   over.

       -h  Put	'hints'	 in the .ph files which will help in locating problems with h2ph.  In those cases when you require a
	   .ph file containing syntax errors, instead of the cryptic

		   [ some error condition ] at (eval mmm) line nnn

	   you will see the slightly more helpful

		   [ some error condition ] at filename.ph line nnn

	   However, the .ph files almost double in size when built using -h.

       -e  If an error is encountered during conversion, output file will be  removed  and  a  warning	emitted	 instead  of
	   terminating the conversion immediately.

       -D  Include the code from the .h file as a comment in the .ph file.  This is primarily used for debugging h2ph.

       -Q  'Quiet' mode; don't print out the names of the files being converted.

ENVIRONMENT
       No environment variables are used.

FILES
	/usr/include/*.h
	/usr/include/sys/*.h

       etc.

AUTHOR
       Larry Wall

SEE ALSO
       perl(1)

DIAGNOSTICS
       The usual warnings if it can't read or write the files involved.

BUGS
       Doesn't construct the %sizeof array for you.

       It  doesn't  handle  all C constructs, but it does attempt to isolate definitions inside evals so that you can get at
       the definitions that it can translate.

       It's only intended as a rough tool.  You may need to dicker with the files produced.

       You have to run this program by hand; it's not run as part of the Perl installation.

       Doesn't handle complicated expressions built piecemeal, a la:

	   enum {
	       FIRST_VALUE,
	       SECOND_VALUE,
	   #ifdef ABC
	       THIRD_VALUE
	   #endif
	   };

       Doesn't necessarily locate all of your C compiler's internally-defined symbols.

perl v5.40.1						 2026-06-12						     H2PH(1)