PR: ActiveState Updates Perl Development Portfolio

ActiveState Updates Perl Development Portfolio:
Rapid Development on ASP.NET, Linux, .NET, Solaris, & Windows

VANCOUVER, BC, DECEMBER 18, 2002 - ActiveState, the leader in applied open source software, today announced new releases of its popular Perl tools and language distribution: Perl Dev Kit (PDK) 5.0, Visual Perl 1.7, and ActivePerl 5.8. These premier applications for Perl software development are used by millions of programmers to slash development time and improve code quality.

The Perl Dev Kit features essential tools for easily building and deploying Perl applications. Visual Perl is the full-featured Perl plug-in for Visual Studio .NET. ActivePerl is ActiveState's quality-assured distribution of Perl, available for Linux, Solaris, and Windows.

ActiveState also announced PerlASPX 1.0, a new Perl resource that makes Perl available as an ASP.NET programming language. PerlASPX utilizes the advanced ASP.NET caching features, and enables the creation of .NET Web services written in Perl. PerlASPX will be available in January, 2003.

"ActiveState's Perl tools are exceptional, allowing very rapid development and revision. Since purchasing the Perl Dev Kit, our admin group has been assured of dependable, freely transportable Perl applications. This has really saved time and money when responding to critical situations. Plus, with the added security of the compiled executable format, I know that others can't easily tinker with my scripts," said Mike Armitage, System Engineer, Verizon.

Perl Dev Kit key new features:
* Support for ActivePerl 5.8
* PerlTray - run Perl applications from the Windows System Tray
* Visual Package Manager - completely rewritten interface for easily managing Perl installations. Now supports HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, and Windows

Visual Perl key new features:
* Full debugging support for Perl Dev Kit objects
* Support for Perl Dev Kit 5.0 and ActivePerl 5.8
* Large file support

ActivePerl key new features:
* Perl 5.8 enhancements including improved Unicode support, I/O layers, Perl-level threads, reliable signals and many new modules
* Large file access support - file manipulation facilities within Perl handle files larger than 2GB or 4GB
* PPM3 - now included as the default ppm executable for easy installation and management of modules and extensions

"We use Perl for remote information gathering and automating a variety of administrative tasks. It has allowed us to respond very quickly to 'situations' that arise in our enterprise network. I chose ActivePerl for its excellent Win32 extensions and its bulletproof installation package for Windows 2000," said Armitage.

"Our new Perl tools aim to anticipate all the typical needs of Perl programmers in enterprise settings, making it more practical than ever to use Perl as a viable part of their IT infrastructure. These tools fulfill needs that span the entire life-cycle of finished Perl applications, ranging from prototyping, debugging, delivery, deployment, and even extending to subsequent maintenance and troubleshooting," said Gurusamy Sarathy, Senior Perl Developer, ActiveState.

ActiveState's Perl productivity tools are available individually or as part of a single, value-priced bundle in ASPN Perl. Educational, volume and enterprise licenses are also available. Free trial licenses, additional details, evaluation copies and downloads are at http://www.ActiveState.com/Perl.

About ActiveState:
ActiveState is the global leader in applied open source software. Over 70% of the Fortune 500 depends on ActiveState technology, which ranges from programming tools to message management. The company's products and services enable IT professionals and enterprises to increase productivity and reduce corporate risk. Information on solving business and programming challenges with applied open source solutions is available at: http://www.ActiveState.com.